In an effort to honor it’s former Wellness Director, Ivy Tech started Gloria’s Garden in Spring of 2023. It features flowers, produce, and a Monarch Way Station. It currently provides free, fresh produce to students who utilize Ivy Tech’s onsite food pantry. Employees have also benefited from the addition of a calming green space. The garden will be accessible to the community down the road as it continues to grow.
Gloria’s Garden was made possibl eby many contributors. Ivy Tech biology students oversee the Monarch Way Station and have some of their classes in the garden. Welding students built the raised planter beds, so gardening is accessible for everyone. Art students and employee and community artists painted murals on the fences surrounding the garden and the shed. The Vanderburgh County Soil and Water Conservation District donated the soil for the beds. THe garden also offers meditation and yoga classes in the garden periodically. As the garden grows, Ivy Tech plans to put in more benches and picnic tables so everyone can enjoy this green space. The main purpose is nutrition, but Gloria’s Garden also promotes physical, social and environmental wellness.
