Firebirds Men’s Soccer Team Volunteers at UDC’s Garden of Senses
WASHINGTON, DC – On April 15th, while the University of the District of Columbia was closed for DC Emancipation Day, the Men's Soccer team completed its year-round community service engagements by working in the UDC 'Garden of Senses' behind the Library on the Van Ness campus.
The student-athletes put in hard labor by helping the volunteers who are hoping to make the garden generate produce as well as serve as an educational tool to all ages.
Working for just over two hours the members of the team laid soil and mulch, helped with weeding and fixed wooden gates. Refreshments were provided by Project Specialist in Urban Agriculture Lorraine Weller Clarke and Volunteer Mary Beth Tinker, who, according to Assistant Coach Daniel Wadeson, were as passionate as they were hard working.
The University of the District of Columbia's newest college, the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) launched this community garden project on July 20th, 2013. Maintained by the UDC Student Garden Club with assistance from faculty and staff mentors, the wide variety of plants in the gardens also serve as research sites to investigate different plant qualities.
"The proximity of the work and giving back to the campus is an excellent initiative that we will definitely look to continue to participate in moving forward," Wadeson said. "Student-athletes and coaching staff enjoyed working in such good conditions and we thoroughly recommend it to all sports programs."