We elevate interest in public garden spaces throughout the state of Connecticut. Through this, we increase community connections, accessibility, education, and preservation of garden related information and stories in order to elevate the quality of life throughout the state, to advance gardens as a form of healing art, and to inspire visitors (residents and non-residents) to become ever better stewards of the land areas they inhabit.
Program Logistics
The Connecticut Garden Collaborative is one of IVCG's "nested" programs. Under the guidance of a volunteer advisory council, the work involves two primary goals.
1) To provide opportunities for local seniors (60+ in the Greater New Haven area) to meet others and co-create expressive works reflecting the value and benefits of community, including engagement with CT public gardens. The project advances prosocial experiences that uplift those in our community who are often isolated and alone. We advance this goal through the annual "Cultivating Connections" program that runs from fall (roughly October) - May.
2) To collect and share information about CT public gardens, particularly through the lens of local seniors, for the benefit of all interested community members. This work involves curating a list of public gardens (some free and others with an admissions fee). Data will be published through our program page noted below after volunteers have designed the initial data presentation strategy.