Community Ecology Institute
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Grow Food. Cultivate Community. Protect The PLanet

Grow Food. Cultivate Community. Protect the Planet. 
Nourishing Gardens transforms lawns in and around Howard County into ecologically beneficial growing spaces. What does that mean? We take lawns of homes, businesses, community organizations, and schools and transform them into gardens that nourish people, our community, and nature.

The Problems We’re Solving
  • ​According to Feeding America, nearly 25,000 Howard County residents experience periods of food insecurity.
  • It’s estimated that the average meal in the U.S. travels up to 1,500 miles before it reaches a family’s table.
  • ​Lawns consume trillions of gallons of water each year and produce little in the way of nourishment for the families who tend them.
  • Millions of gallons of gas are consumed during yard maintenance each year.
  • ​Millions of pounds of herbicides and pesticides are applied to lawns and ultimately contribute to the pollution of streams and rivers.
  • Lawns offer little in the way of habitat for pollinators and wildlife that are necessary for a healthy local ecosystem.
  • ​Nearly 12,000 neighbors are struggling to find employment in Howard County.
  • Lawns make up as much as 75% of green space in urban areas, but provide little ecological or nutritional benefit to communities.

Are you interested in having your lawn transformed into a garden? A Nourishing Garden's team member will reach out to you to discuss next steps to create a garden design that meets your interests, budget, and need. 
LET'S START GROWING

OUR OFFERINGS

HOME CONSULTATIONS
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We provide consultation, planning, and installation of food and pollinator gardens that replace lawns, increase biodiversity, and nourish our families and communities. ​
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT
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CEI provides expert-led training to teams of garden installers as an opportunity for workforce development and a pathway to green infrastructure jobs.​

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS


Nourishing Gardens in the Community:
  • What is a “Nourishing Garden” and why is one attached to the playground? – UUCC (uucolumbia.net)

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CEI humbly acknowledges the Indigenous people who were wrongfully removed from their ancestral lands where we live and work today. We offer our deepest respect to the Piscataway Conoy Tribe and all other tribes Indigenous to the central Maryland region where our organization is based. To learn more about the Indigenous people where you live, visit Native-Land.ca. ​

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(c) 2022 Community Ecology Institute. All Rights Reserved.
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  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Our Work
    • Meet The Team
    • Board of Directors
    • Our Partners
    • Awards and Press
  • Our Programs
    • Families in Nature
    • Roots and Wings Learning
    • Green SEEDS Internship
    • Nourishing Gardens >
      • Climate Victory Gardens
  • Locations
    • Freetown Farm >
      • Gray-Howell Community Engagement Center
      • Growing Together
      • Make + Repair
    • Green Farmacy Garden >
      • GFG Advisory Council
  • Get Involved
    • Volunteer
    • Upcoming Events
    • Scout Projects
  • Donate
    • Business Partner Program
  • Contact Us