Our Crowdfunding Groups
A huge THANK YOU to our generous donors for helping us reach our initial goal of $5,000 with 11 days to spare! We are incredibly grateful for all of your support! We have created a new stretch goal of $6,000, which will enable us to cover the costs of constructing a vertical garden on the roof. Please continue to show your support by sharing our campaign with friends and family!
Why Rooftop Gardens?
In the Bay Area, like other urban environments worldwide, real estate development is skyrocketing, and many remaining park, natural, and agricultural spaces are in danger of being overtaken by concrete. Even on the UC Berkeley campus, the long term sustainability of campus gardens, namely the Oxford Tract and SOGA, are threatened by the encroaching development, which would take away student access to corresponding educational experiences. Rooftop gardens can provide many of the benefits of a traditional garden, and more.
Rooftop gardens provide a space for urban agriculture practices, making local, healthy food more accessible to both food-insecure students (1 in 4 UCB students do not have access to nutritious food), and to the broader community. By definition, a garden on an existing roof is less likely than a traditional one to be overtaken by buildings as rent payments continue to increase, and the University continues to expand. They can therefore be a long-term solution to providing more students and community members with access to healthy food and educational opportunities.
Can you help us make a Cal rooftop garden a reality by making a gift today?
Rooftop Gardens on Campus
Unfortunately, the two green roofs on campus are not ideal: one has no student access and is covered by only grass, and the other is primarily concrete. Therefore, there are no rooftop gardens on campus that can be used as a resource for students. This campaign will create Cal's first productive rooftop garden on top of La Loma Parking Structure to pilot green roof development on campus, and hopefully throughout the UC system. By running a successful pilot study on La Loma, the University will be more inclined to include rooftop gardens in future development, which will be positive for the students, the community, campus sustainability (energy savings, storm water management, habitat provision, and more), and overall campus aesthetic.
Once we are able to purchase all the necessary equipment, our student team (and the broader university community) will begin growing produce to provide healthy food to students and community members in need. It will also be used as a space for meditation and yoga through Recreational Sports, improving mental health of students, faculty, and other affiliates of Cal.
With your support, we hope to begin installation of our rooftop garden later this spring – please make a gift today!
Thank you for your generosity in helping to fund this project!
Financing La Loma Rooftop Garden
You get a social media shoutout on Facebook and Instagram!
You get a handwritten thank you card!
You get a picture of the garden!
You get a sunflower dedicated to you!
You get a private tour of the garden!
You get a garden bed dedicated to you!
