Our Programs
Esha Chiocchio and her daughter, Ciela Stillings, 3, help replant irises Tuesday as part of the Railyard Park Earlybirds program, sponsored by the Railyard Stewards. The group invites the community to help spruce up the park from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays in April. (c) The Santa Fe New Mexican, 2010.
Outdoor Classroom Program provides programs for schools and youth, highlighting dynamic hands-on science, math and history curriculum. The Stewards also provide service learning projects for youth at the Railyard, in spaces ranging from our food gardens to the 400-year-old Acequia Madre. For example, The School for the Deaf joined us on Earth Day to volunteer in the park and plant vegetables, and Alvord Elementary planned and planted a vegetable garden in 201o. Contact us for more information.
Railyard Art Committee – More information coming soon!
Railyard Community Events – The Railyard Stewards support community events and use of the Railyard, working closely with the Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation.
The “Garden in the Park” Workshop Series features experts in agricultural and horticultural techniques, in topics ranging from tree care to pest management.
Early Bird Gardening Days: The Railyard Stewards coordinate the care of over 7,150 plants and 120 species in the ‘Learning Gardens’ of the Railyard Park + Plaza. This provides the community and youth opportunities to learn about low-water plantings, plant identification and care, and many gardening techniques in our high desert environment. Last year over 150 people participated, and the Stewards coordinated over 1300 hours of hands-on garden care. Gardening sessions happen weekly throughout the growing season – see our Events and Volunteer sections for more information.
Community Food Gardens provide food growing opportunities to individuals and groups and highlight agricultural traditions in Santa Fe. Food from the communal gardens is donated to food banks, such as our ‘Angels Herb Garden’ and the produce grown by schools and farms in our Pueblo-style ‘waffle garden.’ Individual gardening plots are provided to families and community members, focusing on people who do not have space to garden at home. Ongoing garden partyworkdays help keep the spaces lively, green and lovely.
Santa Fe Mountain Center youth from Espanola participate in a service-learning project in Acequia cleaning at the Railyard Park in 2009. Examples of other youth group and school partners include Alvord, YouthWorks, Santa Fe High School, Earth Care International, and visiting schools such as Cochiti Elementary.
“It’s a real pleasure to work with the Railyard Stewards. There is always a lot of gardening to be done at the Santa Fe Railyard Park, and it’s always accomplished in a spirit of camaraderie and good cheer. The park is a fine public space, always busy with Santa Feans and visitors obviously enjoying the atmosphere; people often stop to ask questions about plants and gardening, and to thank the Stewards for our service. Eliza and Carol are easy to work with, gracious and generous. I always look forward to my Stewardship days in the Park!” – Linda Churchill, Green Forward LLC and former volunteer coordinator with the Santa Fe Botanical Gardens
