Open house events planted around Earth Day
Bourbonnais, IL – The Village of Bourbonnais is pleased to announce a new community garden being planted at Jordan Park located at 59 Jordan Drive.
Residents of all ages are invited to attend two open house informational events on Monday, April 24, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., or Wednesday, May 3, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Both events will take place in the Community Room within the Municipal Center at 700 Main Street NW. Registration is not required.
Attendees will learn gardening tips and tricks from Master Gardener and Master Naturalist Program Coordinator for Kankakee County, Holly Froning, as well as receive more information about the new garden, which will include 12 raised planter boxes.
Jordan Park, located at the southeast corner of Jordan Drive and Gettysburg Drive, serves Belle Aire, Heritage Point and Gettysburg subdivisions. The park is considered a mini park due to its limited population served, and less than an acre in size. It is one of 23 parks in the Village of Bourbonnais.
According to research from North Carolina State University, community gardens provide numerous health benefits, including improved access to food, improved nutrition, increased physical activity and improved mental health. Community gardens were also seen to promote social health and community cohesion.
Tyler Goodrich, Community Development Technician, added, “This first community garden in Bourbonnais will increase activities to advance a healthy living environment, increase access to fresh foods and build meaningful social connection in our community.”
The Community Garden is projected to be fully operational by June 1 for rentals and planting. Based upon the pilot program’s performance, community gardens have the potential to grow into additional village parks.
