ADVOCACY FEATURE
Garcia Street Urban Farm: An Ecocentro & SAHA Project
Green Space Alliance
by Grace Carlin
Protecting green spaces is
we are dedicated to
2) The Picture Your World
important work in urban
sustaining the natural
Program offers
centers like San Antonio.
environment and enhanc-
opportunities for youth
As cities expand and the
ing urban spaces through
ages 8-18 to explore the
natural environment gets
land conservation,
natural environment
pushed farther away,
community engagement,
through the lens of a
many of us find ourselves
and education. Green
camera. Participating youth
searching for natural areas
Space Alliance administers
can enter their nature
within our reach – like
three programs to
photography into our
outdoor community
accomplish our mission:
annual competition
gardens. But how can community gardens grow
3) The Urban Land & Water
in a city like San Antonio,
1) The Land Conservation
Program supports a
and who is helping them
Program works with land
citywide network of
thrive?
owners to preserve open
community gardens. We
land for generations to
partner with those gardens
Green Spaces Alliance of
come. We focus these
to engage with the
South Texas (GSA) is a
efforts on land over the
community on local
nonprofit urban land trust
Edwards Aquifer and
gardening topics like water
located in San Antonio,
adjacent to San Antonio’s
conservation and native
Texas. Founded in 1998,
military bases
landscaping.