Dirt Girls has been planting empowerment since 2016. The "Dirt Girl Greenhouse" is an aspiring social enterprise business for diverse and gender expansive youth to explore climate-forward gardening solutions. Through native plant propagation, stewardship, and sale, we will fill a consumer gap while promoting community education. Consider helping grow this new and unique program so we can continue to offer free programing that exposes youth to STEM careers.
Like women in the STEM workforce, native plants make up only a fraction of the human-designed landscape. Native plants nurture biodiversity and promote sustainable resource use, but are not widely available. In Napa County, specifically, only one local nursery is associated with the California Native Plant Society's Bloom! campaign for native plants. Consumers looking to reduce water use or create habitat have limited options for purchase.
Pairing youth education with native plant stewardship addresses the dire need for more sustainable gardening as well as the need for social connection. The Greenhouse will foster a community of climate-minded youth with an activist mindset. The program will consist of three components: native plant community 'gatherings' (collection of propagation material), native plant propagation, and sale to the public.
Building on the success of past program goals, Dirt Girls Greenhouse will expose participants to horticultural career paths while also providing positive engagement with plants and mentors. In turn, it will provide a source of community education and widen consumer options for plant material. Finally, this model infuses a sustainable source of income for the program so we can continue to recruit youth who might not otherwise have science-based opportunities.
