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Summer
2002
Virginia Zuñiga
and Teresa Medina
Pilsen's Pride
As the sun goes
down on another working day in Chicago's south side barrio
of Pilsen, two cheery women walk down South Carpenter Street
toward Nineteenth Street. They stop at an unusual spot for
this part of town: a garden filled with native prairie species.
Virginia Zuñiga and Teresa Medina are the driving forces
behind the Jardín de las Mariposas, the "Butterfly
Garden."
Virginia was
born in Pilsen and now raises her six-year-old son there.
She has been involved with many Pilsen non-profit groups
and serves as the Jardín's treasurer. Teresa has lived in
Pilsen for thirty-three years. She has volunteered on greening
and park expansion projects for years and is currently president
of the Jardín; co-chair of another Pilsen open space, Dvorak
Park; and president of ProsArts studio, an art education
group that works with children. For years the women fretted
over Pilsen's relative lack of public gardens and open space.
"There weren't
really any parks here," Virginia said. "I really
thought there was a lack of green space and a lack of diversity
in the parks — there are usually just a few trees.
People are even lucky if they have yards here, and I thought
it would be nice to have a place for my son to play in that
also could teach him about the plant life."
The current site
of the Jardín had been occupied, in turns, by a soda factory,
a tortilla factory, and a garage. After these buildings
were demolished, it was left as a vandalized dumping ground.
Beginning in
the fall of 1998, Virginia and Teresa rallied residents
and community organizations, many involved in greening efforts
nearby, around the idea of a new community garden. They
formed a neighborhood committee which worked with the Openlands
Project to transfer ownership of the land from the City
of Chicago to Neighborspace, a nonprofit organization that
holds title to and provides insurance for community-managed
green space. The committee invited Openlands to assist with
the technical aspects of designing the garden as well as
obtaining funding for construction and maintenance. Together
with their neighbors, Virginia and Teresa organized resident
workdays to supply the muscle needed to break concrete,
build paths and berms, and plant.
"We worked
as a group to make this a beautiful space for the community,"
Teresa said.
A splash of color
against brick and stone buildings, the garden entreats the
passerby with an unexpected oasis set amid what Virginia
calls "a concrete jungle." Following suggestions
from Openlands Landscape Designer Julia Plumb, the community
organizers chose to fill the Jardín with native prairie
species. Now common milkweed, nodding onion, golden Alexander,
prairie dropseed, native serviceberry, and spotted Joe Pye
weed join the community's nonnative favorites such as roses
and day lilies. The flora attracts an astonishing number
of butterflies. The park also has play sculptures and a
gazebo for concerts and poetry readings.
Though the Jardín
features native species, Openlands Urban Greening Director
Glenda Daniel stops short of calling the park Chicago Wilderness.
"It doesn't have much conservation significance by
itself," she commented, "but it could eventually
be tied with other parks for a cumulative effect."
Daniel added that the park serves biodiversity by "giving
people in the city a chance to see nature up close."
In time, they are more likely to be stewards of nature in
their everyday lives.
The Jardín de
las Mariposas also displays many facets of the community.
Its name acknowledges the mon-arch butterflies that migrate
between Chicago Wilderness and Mexico every year, much like
many other residents of the community. The art that surrounds
the garden, much of it honoring the numerous cultures that
have called the neighborhood home, was created by area residents,
including children who painted the annual cycle of the monarch
on picnic tables with the help of ProsArts teachers. Organizers
also encouraged teenagers to channel their talents for graffiti
into painting a colorful sign for the garden.
Teresa hopes
that the Jardín de las Mariposas will go beyond being "just
a pretty place." She envisions dancing and summer activities,
and plans to bring in teachers and organizations to teach
about the plant and animal life there.
Virginia's son
Mateo plays in the garden on a caterpillar made with tires,
while the two women admire blossoming golden Alexander.
"People are taking great care of the place, but much
of the neighborhood does not realize the garden is for them
yet. It's like a secret garden," says Teresa. The women
hope that their community will fully embrace its new garden,
but for the moment, they are thrilled with the results of
their work.
— Amy
Sanchez-Moran
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