In honor of Earth Day and the weeklong Earth Day celebrations, Fordham Lincoln Center’s student Environmental Club held a “Plant-It-Yourself” (PIY) event on Friday, April 22. The event invited students to plant different herbs and vegetables, such as oregano and tomatoes, in Lincoln Center’s community garden flower boxes, located on the Plaza behind McMahon Hall’s second-floor entrance. Students were also able to bring home lavender and sage plants.

The Environmental Club wanted to promote a hands-on approach to Earth Day to encourage students to be outdoors despite the concrete surroundings they encounter daily in Manhattan, according to Marie Atendido, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’24 and vice president-elect of the Environmental Club.

“We were able to garner lots of social engagement between students new and old, create more awareness of campus greenery, as well as give students some greenery of their own,” she said.

“All the other Earth Day events offered activities and meetings through loving the physical natural space, but PIY was a more personal and intimate event experience.” Kenneth Tang, GSBLC ’24

Kenneth Tang, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center (GSBLC) ’24 and president-elect of the Environmental Club, added that the event aimed to give students the ownership and ability to take care of plants and be more mindful of their personal impact. 

“All the other Earth Day events offered activities and meetings through loving the physical natural space, but PIY was a more personal and intimate event experience,” Tang said.

The event also included other activities aside from gardening. Students were able to paint and decorate mason jars to bring their plants home in. Additionally, the event provided food and drinks for attendees. 

“I liked that they had Trader Joe’s snacks and Izzes instead of cheap snacks like packets of Goldfish or granola bars,” Cait Gurley, FCLC ’23 and an attendee at the event, said. “I really liked having and going to an event about plants and gardening, and having it on Earth Day was the perfect occasion.” 

Gurley also added that she was able to meet great people at PIY and was excited to take her new plant home to brighten up her room. 

The event also allowed students to demonstrate their passion for planting and the environment on a larger scale. 

“I attended because I’ve been gardening at home for a while, and was hoping to plant more here with the Environmental Club,” Severin Bokus, FCLC ’24, said.

In addition to helping students develop their green thumbs, the PIY event also promoted greater awareness of the McMahon community garden.

In addition to helping students develop their green thumbs, the PIY event also promoted greater awareness of the McMahon community garden. Angela Weng, FCLC ’23, noted that she did not know the location of the garden until attending the event because it is tucked away and in a lesser-known spot on campus. 

Catherine Chung, FCLC ’23 and another attendee, commented on the community garden and said that it has served as an excellent resource to study, relax and unwind for members of the Fordham community she added that she likes to use the garden when the weather is nice.  

The Lincoln Center Environmental Club hoped that the event would promote the space and introduce the garden as a go-to spot on campus. Atendido added that the club’s goal over the summer is to grow herbs and vegetables for the Fordham community to use. 

“I can’t wait to see how (the garden) grows and what grows in it.” Vivian Picciotti, FCLC ’24

Vivian Picciotti, FCLC ’24 and a PIY attendee, said she loved the idea of a student-run community garden. 

“I can’t wait to see how (the garden) grows and what grows in it,” Picciotti said.

Tang said that he was satisfied with the event’s turnout and added that the clean-up was a representation of PIY’s success. 

“I am so glad students kept trickling in, left no snacks and made a mess because that is the best way to tell how many people had fun or were satisfied with the program,” he said.