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CAP 200 Bronx Beautiful - Casari ed. - Textbook

Unit 4. Part 1 - The Natural Environment

Mural of the Garden of Happiness founder Karen Washington and other members with food they've grown.

In NYBG's 2022 exhibit, Around the Table: Stories of the Foods We Love, the botanical garden commissioned Bronx muralist André Trenier to celebrate Karen Washington, a beloved figure, community leader, and trailblazer who co-founded East Tremont’s Garden of Happiness in the late 1980s. The Garden of Happiness in the Bronx is more than a natural refuge; it is a focus of community activity and cultural exchange. Washington later helped launch City Farms Market and the New York City Community Garden Coalition. She currently co-owns Rise & Root Farm in Chester, New York. Image is part of the USDA Urban Agriculture collection. (USDA/FPAC photo by Preston Keres). Image is in the Public Domain.

Latinx woman gardens lush marigolds and other green plants on community garden.

Gudelina Karino works in The Garden of Happiness, in the Bronx in New York City. Image is part of the USDA Urban Agriculture collection. (USDA/FPAC photo by Preston Keres) Image is in the Public Domain. 

Latinx man stands in greenhouse amidst many rows of tomato plants.

Alejandro Campos works in The Garden of Happiness, in the Bronx in New York City. He is in the high tunnel where they are growing many rows of tomatoes under cover.  Image is part of the USDA Urban Agriculture collection. (USDA/FPAC photo by Preston Keres) Image is in the Public Domain. 

Pink cherry blossoms in bloom.

NY Botanical Garden - Magnolia - Rustica Rubra by Erik Anestad is licensed under a CC BY 2.0 license. 

Aerial view of New Roots Farm in the Bronx.

New Roots Community Farm on the Grand Concourse. Photo credit: Ben Hider

Bronx River Foodway path surrounded by lush greenery and many colored flowers.

The Bronx River Foodway at Concrete Plant Park is one of New York City's only edible food forests. The Foodway connects the river area with people, growing food and medicinal plants, and is a sustainable way to integrate edible food into a public park. Photograph by Bronx River Alliance. All Rights Reserved.

Concrete Plant Park in the Bronx with sunflowers and raised garden beds.

The Bronx River Foodway at Concrete Plant Park is one of New York City's only edible food forests. The Foodway connects the river area with people, growing food and medicinal plants, and is a sustainable way to integrate edible food into a public park. Concrete Plant Park by Turducken is licensed under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Unit 4 Goals

Unit 4. The Natural Environment and Healthcare Goals

 

  • To expand students’ personal views of their communities and natural environments. This wider perspective will help students to understand what it takes to live healthy lives in harmony with the environment.  The unit will help student to understand how knowledge of nature and their local environment influences decisions regarding their personal lives and well-being and healthcare outcomes.
  • To introduce students to strategies for assessing access to health care. In conjunction with the previous unit student will use the gained knowledge to do analysis on sample districts from the “Beautiful Bronx”. This overview will help student to understand what is happening in their communities and answer questions like, how healthy is my community? Do we have sufficient access to health care, and if not, why not and what can be done about it. The natural and built environment affect healthcare outcomes and students will study why these issues are intertwined. 

The Natural Environment Assignments

 

Lincoln Hospital. Located at 234 East 149th Street in the Bronx. © 2023 The City of New York. All rights reserved.