M'Finda Kalunga
By Davis Fox
On the corner of Christie and Rivington St, there lies a garden, an unassuming one. From the outside, it might not look like much, but on the inside it’s rich with life and culture. The M'Finda Kalunga Garden is a vibrant community ran garden founded in the 1980s.
The garden was built from a community-driven effort to transform a neglected space into a green sanctuary amidst the gentrified landscape of New York. The name M'Finda Kalunga translates to "Garden at the Edge of the Other Side of the World" in Kikongo.
This garden stands to honor the African-American burial ground and pays tribute to the history and legacy of the African-American ancestors who were buried on the land it stands on. This green forest, surrounded by concrete walls, serves as an escape for the local residents.
Through the many community service opportunities, the garden promotes environmental education, community connection, and agriculture. Over the years, the garden has become a symbol of resilience and pride for the neighborhood as it features a mix of native plants, vegetables, and art installations within its walls. The garden also hosts events and workshops providing fun activities to change a potentially dull day to an exciting one for community members and visitors alike.
Each fall, as winter approaches, members of the M'Finda Kalunga Garden come together to move the garden's turtles from their pond to a cozy spot in the owner's basement. This yearly tradition not only keeps the turtles safe but also allows the community to connect and work together. These turtles have become a favorite for many visitors. However, they can only be out during the warmer seasons of the year, so eventually, the time came to bring them indoors. This year, I joined a group of about seven volunteers from the garden as well as the local Boy Scouts.We came prepared with plastic containers and nets, and little confidence.
With little confidence going in, we were determined to ensure the turtles would stay warm all winter long. Everyone pitched in to help, one was even willing to go waist-deep in the water to grab the last couple of turtles. We carefully lifted each turtle from the pond with our half-broken nets and dumped them into their respective buckets, one for the big turtles and one for the small to medium ones. After we got all the turtles in the buckets, we placed towels over them so as not to draw attention. We carted them through the streets over to their winter home. It might not have been fancy but the turtles were finally settled in the basement.