2019 Report for Victims of Gun Violence

Year

2019

Number of volunteers

36

Total volunteer hours

291

Number of events

11

Number of trees planted

5

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3 Green giant arborvitae, 1 sweetgum, 1 eastern white pine

Number of shrubs planted

1

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Winterberry

Number of perennials planted

14

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Guacamole hostas, variegated hostas, mouse-ear hostas

Yards compost spread

0.30

Yards mulch spread

7.50

Summary

This summer, the mothers of the Victims of Gun Violence greenspace group worked tirelessly to turn their vision for the New Haven Botanical Garden of Healing Dedicated to Victims of Gun Violence into a reality. They finalized plans with the site’s architects and the Parks Department. They hosted community gatherings and educational events, breaking ground at the construction site and sharing their stories with the public. The garden is projected to begin construction in September 2019. In the meantime, the mothers and neighbors have been hard at work every Saturday: planting trees, shrubs, and perennials at the edges of the site; clearing invasives in the forest; removing trash blown in by the wind; and generally turning what was an abandoned plot of park land into a cared-for space. The group ended the summer by planting an eastern white pine, known as the “tree of peace” in Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) culture, at the entrance of the garden. Victims of Gun Violence will continue its workdays throughout the year.