A new movement is helping transform urban communities into beautiful eco-spaces by teaching others to “utilize green tools to promote opportunities for equitable, sustainable and innovative renewal.”
The non-profit organization Make A Green Noise is the eco-friendly effort of the program director Rhonda Webb and development director Rushelli Luna.
Through ‘Make A Green Noise,’ Rhonda and Rushelli aspire to teach communities how to plant their own gardens in effort to lower the carbon footprint as well as providing access to “healthier, organic food.”
The movement is focusing on building up in areas of Compton, which has a history of having very rich farmland in the past, and transforming the community back to its previous ‘green’ state.
Rushelli explains that the organization tries to fight for grants and funding in inner city neighborhoods because those areas are what need the most help.
“We have to constantly fund-raise, and we are new non-profit organization therefore it’s even harder to start up,” she said. “Right now our biggest challenge is getting the fund-raising dollars and getting the community out in masses.”
If you’re interested in participating in Make A Green Noise, the organization is holding two separate events on Nov. 2 & 3, and Nov. 9 & 10 where they will be teaching the community how to raise/plant garden beds on Compton Blvd and Central. For more information, visit their website or Facebook Page.
To learn more about sustainable gardening and some tips on how to start your own, listen to our interview with Rhonda and Rushelli in the segments below.
Part one – How Make A Green Noise started.
Rhonda and Rushelli started the movement after discovering they shared the same desire to beautify the Compton area and create open spaces for community gardens or farmer’s markets.
“I just love my community, I don’t know anything about gardening…that’s Rhonda,” laughs Rushelli. “I really just love community planning and encouraging young people to get out.”
For Rhonda, her love of gardening started young from the leadership of her mother.
“[My mother] taught us the benefit of conservation when we were very small, the benefit of recycling…and how important that was both to our family and also to the planet,” she said.
Part two – How Make A Green Noise is helping city youth re-connect with nature.
“There’s a disconnect with the great outdoors,” said Rhonda. “Students who are city kids by nature and think they don’t really feel that ‘ooh’ for the great outdoors are actually having this ‘awe’ moment, and I think that’s wonderful for them to feel like they’re a part of nature.”
They also talk about making a firm commitment of beautifying Compton as opposed to other neighborhoods because they both have close family ties to the city. Listen below to hear more.
Part three – Tips on starting your own compost and garden.
“Green waste is just simple household waste from the kitchen that’s not meat – so your salads, your vegetables, coffee, coffee filters – all those things you can capture,” said Rhonda. “It’s actually going to star decomposing and turn into a rich soil.”
For more tips and ways to participate with Make A Green Noise, listen to the clip below.
