Lake Forest College Alumna Creates Community Garden

It's not unusual for matriculating college students to donate money to their alma mater.

But alumna Liz Birnbaum took the idea of a senior gift one step further when she offered to create and run a community garden on the campus.

Birnbaum, a humanities major with a passion for environmental studies, hoped to oversee the creation of a college garden before she graduated in the spring of 2008. Time slipped away from her during her senior year, though, and she finished school before she was able to finish setting up a garden.

Undeterred, Birnbaum continued to work on the proposal after her graduation, and — when she was offered a job as the program coordinator for the college's environmental studies department in 2010 — the former Lake Forest resident immediately presented it to other members of the campus community.

"Everyone seemed to like the idea," Birnbaum said of the proposal. "I think that the faculty and the administration appreciated the garden's academic applications and its broad-reaching campus-life implications. People have been so supportive of the garden; it’s a wonderful project to be involved with."

Garden, Concept Grow Together

Birnbaum first presented her proposal to the faculty and staff of the college early in 2010. Since then, the garden has grown — both literally and metaphorically — to encompass a rich variety of flora and fauna. Tomatoes, strawberries s and cucumbers grow in the garden during the summer, and squash, pumpkins, and late-season melons thrive there in the fall. Tulips bloom in the spring, and even in the winter, the garden is not entirely inactive.

Birnbaum continues to oversee the daily operations of the garden. However, she also had enlisted four interns to help her maintain it throughout the year.

One intern, sophomore Jade Perkins, has been working in the garden since May. She intends to continue working there for the rest of the academic calendar.

"I didn't know much about gardening when I began my internship," Perkins acknowledged. "But I've learned so much since then, and I've grown a lot as a person. I appreciate the food I eat more than I did before, and I've come to see how important it is for people to be connected to their food and their community."

Connecting to the Community

Perkins genuinely has enjoyed her time at the garden. She's enjoyed it so much, in fact, that she intends to organize and run a community garden of her own, at her old elementary school in downtown Chicago.

"I feel so connected to the world around me when I'm in the garden," Perkins explained, "and I want to give other students the chance to feel the same way — I want them to feel connected to their community."

Community is important to Birnbaum, too. She encourages students and local residents to visit the garden whenever possible, and she hopes to involve them even more in the future.

"We want to reach out to the Lake Forest community more as the garden continues to grow and change," she said. "And we've begun to take steps toward that goal. We've begun to host regular events at the garden, and we hope that community members will attend these events more and more in the years to come."

Movement Links Food, People

Birnbaum has also been working with students and community members to establish a “Slow Food” club on campus. She is meeting with Lake Forest farmers, artisans, and craftsmen interested in supporting a Slow Food movement on campus and within the community at large.

Slow Food is an organization that links good food with a commitment to community and the environment, according to its website.

administrators are appreciative of the gift from Birnbaum that keeps on giving.

"The garden has been a great resource for students, faculty and staff. Being able to purchase fresh vegetables all summer long keeps the campus community connected in a healthy way," said marketing coordinator Lindsey Nemcek on behalf of the college's administration.