Blueberries!
Action Plan
Timeline
Start Date: Project begins Fall 2025 with the first round of tree planting.
Team Meetings: Volunteers will meet monthly leading up to planting, then biweekly during Fall 2025 for planting and watering rotations. After establishment, meetings will shift to quarterly for maintenance and community events.
Key Dates:
Fall 2025: Site preparation and planting of initial fruit trees.
Winter 2025–26: Soil amendments, mulch, and pollinator planting planning.
Spring 2026: Pollinator plants installed; orchard opening celebration.
Budget ($5,000 seed funding)
Fruit Trees & Pollinator Plants: $2,500 (purchase of ~20 fruit trees, 50 pollinator plants).
Soil & Supplies: $1,000 (soil amendments, mulch, compost, tree stakes, protective fencing).
Water Access: $1,000 (irrigation access fees, hoses, and water distribution setup).
Community Engagement & Signage: $500 (educational signage, outreach, and launch event).
Impact
Community Benefit: Transforms unused railroad land into a living orchard that improves air quality, sequesters carbon, restores habitat, and creates a shaded, beautiful gathering space for the Southshore community.
Measurable Goals:
Plant at least 20 fruit trees and 50 pollinator plants in Fall 2025–Spring 2026.
Engage at least 30 community members through planting and care events in the first year.
Host 2 educational events (tree care and pollinator workshop) within the first year.
Long-Term Impact: Provides food, pollinator habitat, and climate benefits for decades, while building environmental stewardship in the community.
Location
Chosen Site: Former railroad land along Southshore, currently unused.
Permissions & Water: Land use permissions are being coordinated with the appropriate authorities. Access to irrigation water is essential and will be arranged as part of the project setup. Once secured, the site will be ready for planting and ongoing community stewardship.
This project will transform unused old railroad land into a thriving orchard, increasing local food access for families and providing a free, welcoming green space. By planting trees, we improve air quality, sequester carbon, and create habitat for pollinators, helping address climate challenges. The orchard offers shade, beauty, and a gathering place, fostering community and social connection while promoting environmental restoration for future generations.
Project motivation: This unused former railroad land is a perfect place to restore habitat, grow food, and create beauty for the Southshore community. Once a corridor of steel, it can become a corridor of life—fruit trees, pollinators, and green space for all. In a time of climate change and habitat loss, we are called to act. Together, we can turn this forgotten ground into a thriving orchard, a gift to future generations and a step toward restoring the Earth.
