Editor,
On Wednesday, UNM staff members arrived to uproot the “Hokona Community Garden,” a sustainable vegetable garden started by one of the dorm’s residents, Alex Borowski. In what was a dirt pit, sprouting weeds and collecting cigarette butts, there is now lettuce, kale and broccoli. What was the purpose of its destruction? UNM has done little to encourage gardening and its determination to dig up the sprouting plants does not speak highly of its respect for student ingenuity. This project was completed and maintained with the help of volunteers and done at the expense of the students involved. It was created with the goal of educating Hokona residents about sustainable planting and showing the natural beauty of growing one’s own produce. Seeing the plants sprout and grow brought students together around the edges of the garden and led to discussions about the importance of the environment. This is a perfect example of students trying to give back to their community, share their interests and indulge in the curiosity education fosters.
I am greatly disappointed if UNM feels it must destroy the work of its students and hope that a compromise can be made to save the Hokona Community Garden. This project was created with the hope of bringing students together with a common goal of sustainability and it has done just that. If this garden is turned into a garbage collecting pit or an unsustainable fountain as suggested, it will be a great loss to the residents of Hokona and the UNM student community.
