Community Pollinator Garden at Donigian Park

In June of 2024, in collaboration with Olneyville neighbors, TerraCorps members of WRWC planted a Community Pollinator Garden at Donigian Park. Featuring five raised garden beds composed of perennial plants native to Rhode Island, Donigian Park was selected as the location for the garden based on feedback from Olneyville community members.  

Throughout the summer and fall, the Community Pollinator Garden hosted a series of bilingual community programs, such as native pollinator gardening education, bee surveying, rock painting, water barrel preparation, trash cleanups, and community bulb plantings.  

A special thank you to Bloom RI and the RI Foundation for their generous support and grant funding to bring this Community Pollinator Garden to life. The garden was also made possible through the volunteer help from the University of Rhode Island, USDA, Building Futures, Zero Waste Providence, the Providence Parks Department, Councilman Oscar Vargas, TerraCorps, and the Rhode Island Natural History Survey. Together, these efforts are creating a vibrant, collaborative, and sustainable community resource.  

In the future, WRWC hopes to continue garden engagement within the community and collectively identify future spaces where we can transform green spaces in Providence. 

If you are interested in helping with garden management or programming, please reach out to India Jencks, ijencks@wrwc.org 

Joslin Community Garden

Located outside of the Joslin Recreation Center and next to William D’Abate Elementary School, the Joslin Community Garden is a vital community resource! It provides community members in Olneyville with space for connection and opportunities to learn about sustainable garden practices. The Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council is excited to support current and interested gardeners in the revitalization, maintenance, and development of the Joslin Community Garden going into Spring of 2025. 

How to get Involved 

If you or a neighbor you know is interested in hosting a plot in the garden, helping out at volunteer days, or learning more about the garden, please contact India Jencks at ijencks@wrwc.org. Interested neighbors are also encouraged to join one our upcoming community meetings at the Olneyville Resilience Hub (17 Hyat St, Providence, RI 02909). The next meeting will be on Wednesday, January 15 at 6pm.  

History 

The Joslin Community Garden has served as an important resource and a space to practice sustainable gardening since its development in 2011. Many hands have cared for this space, led by various dedicated community members. A communal tool shed, fruit trees, berry bushes, and a grape arbor installed by the Steelyard are among a couple of the shared assets this garden offers to those who care for it. 

Following community feedback, the garden is looking for additional stewards to sustain the space in the future! Nicole Wright, a TerraCorps member serving with the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council and WRWC’s Land Preservation Manager, India Jencks, have been collaborating with current gardeners to identify goals for the garden, available resources, and vision for garden revitalization in Spring 2025 and beyond.  

This project is only possible through the community members that support the garden, and help from the Olneyville Resilience Hub located next to the Joslin Recreation Center. Thank you to Zero Waste Providence, Garden Time, and the Olneyville Neighborhood Association for their knowledge and volunteer time in the garden to date!