After a dispute over the future of Meg’s Garden, located on the DeWitt
Clinton Campus, the city Department of Education is now stating that the
community garden is here to stay. Photo Robbie Sequeira
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,BTR SEPT. 24-30, 2021 41
BY ROBBIE SEQUEIRA
Meg’s Garden, which
adorns the West Mosholu
Parkway South and Goulden
Avenue side of the DeWitt
Clinton High School in the
Norwood section of the Bronx,
is here to stay, according to
the city Department of Education.
“Meg’s Garden space will
remain on-site and will not be
removed,” reads the DOE’s letter.
Since 2016, the garden had
been overseen by the James
Baldwin Outdoor Learning
Center on a pro-bono basis but
was facing eviction after the
Clinton Campus Committee
chose not to renew the center’s
permit to utilize the garden on
school grounds.
Earlier this year, the committee
— which is headed by
the administrators of the De-
Witt Clinton Campus’ four
schools: DeWitt Clinton High
School, PS X721 Stephen Mc-
Sweeney, Bronx Collaborative
High School and World
View High School — called for
the removal of all mentions
or associations with the De-
Witt Clinton campus from the
JBOLC website and all published
material, and the removal
of the campus address
from the JBOLC website as
the “location” of the JBOLC
Farmer’s Market, which the
organization operates in close
proximity to the school, by
May 12.
But pushback from environmentalists,
local growers
and elected offi cials like Democrat
City Councilman Eric
Dinowitz, of the Bronx’s 11th
District, put pressure on the
DOE to intervene on the dispute
and uncertainty of the
garden’s future.
“After months of advocacy,
the DOE recognized how essential
this space has been and
will be for the community and
our children,” said Dinowitz
in a released statement. “All
the meetings that took place
over the past months allowed
the students and community
to speak out about their
needs, and defend something
that has been so impactful to
their lives, particularly during
these past 18 months.”
With the garden’s status no
longer in question, the next
steps include a change in the
garden’s management, as the
DOE announced that a new
committee — a DeWitt Clinton
Campus Garden Leadership
Committee — will be formed
and tasked with the future operations
of the space.
The committee will include
members from the JBOLC,
a yet-to-be-named Community
Based Organization, and
members of the Clinton Campus
Community.
The committee will meet
at the beginning of the school
year and will provide an open
platform for their members to
discuss the future of the space.
The DOE had alleged that
JBOLC failed to maintain the
garden, ignored directives
to cease operations, referred
to the school’s property as a
“community garden,” and
changed the landscaping of
the campus grounds without
approval.
Additionally, the popular
local farmer’s market will
also continue to be held in the
area, as Dinowitz was able to
secure a permit for JBOLC
to continue community programming
at their Saturday
farmers market.
DeWitt Clinton sustainability
coordinator Raymond
Paultinus thanked Dinowitz
for his advocacy and looked
forward to the next chapter of
Meg’s Garden, which is dedicated
to longtime community
activist Megan Charlop who
tragically lost her life in a bicycle
accident in 2010.
“We want to thank Council
Member Eric Dinowitz who
worked hard on behalf of the
students and the community,”
Paultinus said. With his support,
we now have a voice …
which will direct all future decisions
regarding the garden
spaces.”
Meg’s Garden is here
to stay, DOE says
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