Elementary school students and their rain garden
Carol Ali organized the first West Asheville Garden Stroll (WAGS) in 2009 and by 2014, the event was bringing in more than enough donations to cover its costs. WAGS organizers, including Chas Jansen, decided to invest in West Asheville by developing the Seed Grant program. “The intention of the Seed Grant program has always been to express our gratitude to the West Asheville community for the abundant support for each of the 12 years of Garden Strolls,” says Jansen. “This support has made it possible to keep the Stroll as the only annual garden tour in the city that’s free of charge.” Applications for this year’s Seed Grants are due on Tuesday, February 15.
Each year, WAGS awards about $2,400 in grants of $100 to $1,000 to support community-oriented, publicly accessible gardening projects. Proposals must be made by an individual living in West Asheville or by a community group such as a nonprofit working in West Asheville, a neighborhood collaboration, faith community, school, business or youth group. “The organizers favor projects that can deepen horticultural and environmental awareness and learning in our community,” says Jansen. “Other projects are chosen because they encourage creative approaches to landscaping which can enhance the beautification of West Asheville’s public spaces, including boulevard strips, traffic islands, storefronts, community gardens or school yards.”
Past grants have supported a community garden at Hall Fletcher Elementary School, a GreenWorks education initiative for children and the installation of rain gardens at two West Asheville schools in partnership with RiverLink. Jansen cites this project as especially well received because it generated multiple benefits to the community. “This project stands out as a great success not only because rain gardens are parts of the effort to filter water before it returns to the French Broad but also because it helps RiverLink stretch its budget to cover more of the good work it does,” he says. “Rain gardens at elementary schools promise years of environmental lessons, so this seed grant was a great way to thank the West Asheville community for its support. It built community by getting everyone involved in making the gardens happen.”
To learn more, visit the WAGS website: WestAshevilleGardens.com/seed-money-grants.
