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ReClaim South Ambassador: Mt. Oliver Community Garden Gathering Space

Program Area: Ambassador Project, ReClaim

Topic: Community Engagement, Community Gardens, Education

Year: 2014, Current

Neighborhood: Mount Oliver

Parent Project:

Read more about Chitra

About the Project

Mitra and Chitra are a father and son duo that moved to the Mt. Oliver Borough in 2012 by way of Nepal and Bhutan. Because of the high population of Bhutanese refugees living in the Mt. Oliver area, they created a community space that pays homage to their homeland. In partnership with Grow Pittsburgh and the Mt. Oliver Borough, Chitra and Mitra Gurung will be building out a community space within the new Mt. Oliver Community Garden. The space has a place for sitting and eating food from the garden, as well as a play area for children, including the English and Nepali translation of vegetation that will be growing in the garden.

“वे’रे एक्ष्चितेद अबोउत द गर्देनिंग वोर्क. वे लिके द एन्विरोन्मेन्त हेरे.

We’re excited about gardening work. We like the environment here.”

— Chitra Gurung – ReClaim South Ambassador, Mt. Oliver Borough

Transverse Park, Mount Oliver, PA, United States

Photos

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Mitra and Chitra's vision for a space within the Mt. Oliver Community Garden

The site before reclamation

Volunteers prepared wood slabs with English and Nepali names of vegetables to accommodate Bhutanese refugees who frequent the garden.

Carrot : गाजर

Volunteers work to build a children's play area on the site.

Volunteers build a pergola to provide shade for the site.

Volunteers build a pergola to provide shade for the site.

A volunteer paints a chalkboard for the site.

Building a children's picnic table

Building a children's picnic table

An approving smile for some good handiwork

Ambassador Chitra paints the picnic table.

The children's play-space coming together

Learn a new language!

Chalkboard