The Pala Band of Mission Indians recently awarded four community members with funding to establish and create their own native gardens in their yards. On today’s blog, we’re sharing updates from those community members.
The Pala Band of Mission Indians recently awarded four community members with funding to establish and create their own native gardens in their yards. As part of the Collaborative of Native Nations for Climate Transformation and Stewardship (CNNCTS), each awardee received funds to cover materials such as plants, seeds, and soil for their garden. This past December, the awardees worked alongside the Pala Environmental Department team to learn practical information on gardening skills including how to choose water-wise plants and pollinator plant species, composting, and drip irrigation.
The awardees are in various stages of developing their native plant spaces. All have purchased plants and are moving forward with planting. One awardee has completed the construction of a hoop house with PVC pipes and netting. Other awardees are planning their garden spaces and preparing to put plants in the ground. These native gardens are important to the environment and will not only provide a space for community members to learn more about gardening, but will help to increase biodiversity in the area.
The Pala Environmental Department hosts weekly community planting days—like this one in December we shared about on our blog— at the Pala Environmental Department Demonstration Garden. These planting days are open to Pala community members and if you would like to join, follow along for updates on their instagram at @Planet_Pala.
Learn more about the Collaborative for Native Nations for Climate Transformation and Stewardship (CNNCTS) at cnncts.org.