Dear San Diego Permaculture Friends,

Please join me this Friday, January 28, at 1pm for the ribbon cutting and reopening of the Birney Joint Use Willie Serrano Field. The park is located at the corner of Park Boulevard and Meade Avenue in the University Heights neighborhood in San Diego.

Ten years ago, as Director of the San Diego Permaculture Center, I was looking for opportunities to apply permaculture in an urban neighborhood. I was especially interested in promoting community food gardens on public land. I attended the monthly meeting of the University Heights Recreation Council. Soon after, I became Chair of the Council and got involved in starting the Birney School Garden.

My dream was to incorporate the school garden into the joint use playing field adjacent to the school. While this dream did not materialize as I had envisioned, I am happy that this 100 year old historic field is reopening after being closed to community use since 1997 and that the Birney School Garden has grown substantially under the care of many others who continued the school garden project.

So, if you are available on Friday, I hope you can join us in celebrating our successes and dreaming about making an even better future.

Marcia Boruta