The East Stanislaus Resource Conservation District will be at the Turlock Community Gardens on Saturday and is looking for a few volunteers to get the shared nature space ready to home additional native plants.

The volunteer work day will be held from 9 a.m. to 12 noon at Turlock Community Gardens, 4105 Crowell Rd. Volunteers will be helping prepare the garden’s conservation area for additional native plants that will provide habitat for native pollinators and support local biodiversity. Volunteers will also be helping with maintenance and other projects around the garden.

The local conservation district is working with the Turlock Community Gardens through an Equity in Conservation Outreach grant from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The grant focuses on addressing food insecurity in Stanislaus County through urban agriculture education, technical assistance, and hands-on workshops.

“A big part of that work is meeting gardeners where they already grow food and supporting the community spaces that make fresh produce more accessible,” said Alix Clausen, director of Education and Engagement for ESRCD.

“Turlock Community Gardens is a great fit. They're transitioning some of their land into a community food forest, and they want to expand native habitat to support pollinators and local wildlife. Our conservation and restoration teams are helping prepare the native plant area and assisting with irrigation work. Volunteers will also pitch in on overall garden maintenance, from the areas between beds to shared spaces, giving plot holders more time to focus on their own gardens.

“Beyond the immediate impact, when people put their own hands into conservation and restoration work, they build a deeper connection to it. Someone who helped lay mulch or prepare a native planting area is more likely to come back, watch it grow, and care about what happens to it. That kind of personal investment is what keeps community spaces like this thriving long after the workday is over,” she continued.

What was once a vacant plot of land nestled between Cornerstone Covenant Church and the new Jessica’s House on Crowell Road was transformed in 2020 into a place where families, educators, students, refugees and more can tend to crops of all shapes and sizes, thanks to the vision of Stanislaus State Geology professor Julia Sankey.

Sankey, along with Jonathan Partridge, Been, Vivien Jacob and Anna-Martha Brown, came together to form the nonprofit organization Turlock Community Gardens in hopes to become an “umbrella” for others who want to start their own gardens in town.

Today, the gardens offer space for families and organizations to grow their own food, hands-on learning opportunities, free events and a free food pantry.

Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up at: https://forms.gle/2BMJqXmfofMSZJN97