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New Non-Profit Center Will Bring Gardens and Education Programs to Northeastern Pennsylvania

A new organization is planning to make a difference in northeastern Pennsylvania.  The Center for Landscape Design & Stewardship (CLDS) is a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. It was founded in 2008 for the purpose of promoting environmental and community sustainability through education, demonstration, and public outreach.


The CLDS is working to develop and operate a distinctive facility providing both adult and youth education programs, professionally designed gardens for inspiration, demonstration, and horticultural study, as well as community gardens for food production and hands-on study in order to:

  • Promote ecological awareness, appreciation for nature, and understanding of natural processes.
  • Practice and promote sustainable design concepts and techniques.
  • Promote gardening as a way to improve physical and mental health.
  • Promote appreciation and preservation of the cultural landscape resources within Pennsylvania that contribute to its unique heritage and cultural identity.
  • Become a place of learning, discovery, and fun for all members of the community.


The ultimate goal of the CLDS is to add value to the community by encouraging others to create more livable, meaningful, and sustainable environments.

 

The Center will establish partnerships with local municipalities, garden clubs, the Pennsylvania State University Cooperative Extension Master Gardener program, academic institutions, local businesses, conservation organizations, state agencies, and other non-profit organizations with complimentary missions in order to provide opportunities to share knowledge, coordinate educational programs and events, conduct research, and promote greater interest in landscape design, planning, and stewardship.


CLDS Is Now Accepting Applications for a 2010 Summer Internship!

Link to our News page to find out more and download an application.


Get Down, Get Dirty, Get Involved!


Volunteer -
Attend a Class  - Become a Member -  Plant a Garden

Explore our site and see how you can get involved!

Come See What all the Buzz is About!

Visit the Butler Township 'Human Nature' Community Garden, established in 2009 in Drums, PA, just north of Hazleton. The 'Human Nature' Community Garden is a partnership between the CLDS and Butler Township.
Check out our Blog to view photos of the garden and track its progress.
Brochure Now Available!
Download a printable brochure containing information about the Center for Landscape Design & Stewardship.





Participate in the Landscape Narrative Project

In an effort to increase awareness of our cultural landscape heritage, the CLDS is launching the Landscape Narrative Project. This project will result in a collection of personal memoirs documenting the meaning and memory of everyday landscapes.

Are there any gardens or landscapes that hold special meaning in your life? What about a garden of a close friend or family member? If so, the CLDS would like to hear about it.

For instance, was there a special place from your childhood where you felt free to explore nature, let your imagination wander, or just simply pass the time and feel truly at peace? Or what about your grandmother's vegetable garden, where you learned how to plant seeds, watch them grow, and eat juicy tomatoes that were still warm from the sun? Is there a small patch of woodland with a creek where you and your dad would throw stones to see who made the biggest splash? What memories may the smell of chives conjure up when you brush past them?

Landscapes have memories associated with them and in many instances, these places have helped shape who we are and how we understand the world. The Landscape Narrative Project is an attempt to document both historic and contemporary accounts of these special places and share them with others in the hope that it will help raise the collective consciousness of how very important everyday landscapes are to our lives.

Please take a few moments to share your memories by posting them as a comment on the CLDS Blog site. If you have a photo or sketch of this special place, you may attach it to an email and send them to info@DigCLDS.org and we will post it along with your memoir. Kids are encouraged to post their accounts as well, and a sketch or drawing to accompany these are especially welcome. Eventually, the CLDS will publish a select number of these memoirs in a booklet that will be available for others to purchase, give as a gift, or share with your family.

If you have any questions or comments pertaining to the Landscape Narrative Project, please email Krista Schneider at kschneider@DigCLDS.org.


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