Plants and communities grew at the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) garden workshop, where participants learned how to help protect the local ecosystem and preserve native plants on Sunday, April 27.
At the Barrett Community Center garden, YAC members and Belmont locals gathered to help grow plants and learn more about how to help support environmental sustainability. One of the ways participants discovered how they can improve the ecosystem is by planting native plants.
“My son, James, is involved. He’s one of the people in the Youth Climate Ambassadors Program, and I wanted to learn more about the California native plants,” said Julia Williams, a workshop participant.
Williams became interested in gardening after she bought a house and had a garden to look after. Since then, she has developed a passion for plants and learning about the science behind them.
“I learned that California natives have a big impact on biodiversity. The California natives have pollinators that feed on them. If the plants go away, the pollinators go away, and the plants will die off. If you bring the plants back, you can get the pollinators and increase the biodiversity,” Williams said.
Sami Khalak, one of the organizers at the event, who is involved with the Youth Climate Ambassadors (YCA) and is a junior at Carlmont High School, notes that there is a difference between plants and native plants.
“With native planting, you use less fertilizer and less water, which is important because California is a drought state, and that’s more due to irrigation,” Khalak said.
According to Khalak, planting more native plants can reduce drought, and the plants can become host species for more bugs and animals. After the participants planted the plants and Khalak finished his presentation, he gave out plants to the participants to take away from the experience.
“When people walk away with something in their hands and the knowledge that they can create change, it gives me a sensational feeling because I feel like I’ve created a difference,” Khalak said.
According to Patrick Schmitz, the Belmont Parks and Recreation Coordinator, YAC sponsored the event’s organizers and Carlmont High School juniors James Casab and Sami Khalak. He helped reserve the plot in the garden and spread the word on social media.
“In the long term, I think it’s a beneficial program. Native plants are already drought resistant because we live in a dry area, so having those plants can help with food scarcity and bring pollinators,” Schmitz said.
Not only did the workshop educate participants about the environmental benefits of native plants, but it also brought the community together with a shared purpose to improve the conditions of the local ecosystem.
“We had young adults, teens, and some older adults all come to enjoy being in a garden. I think bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together for a common cause is beneficial for building community, and that’s what makes Belmont a special place,” Schmitz said.
