During these pandemic times, opportunities for people to connect with one another--and with nature--are crtical for our minds, bodies, and spirits. Sponsored by Holistic Hawks Well-Being Committee, the Watch New Paltz Grow! initiative is designed as something of a virtual garden for the greater SUNY New Paltz Community. Here, largely via our Instagram account (@watchnewpaltzgrow), we can share photos of our own gardens, plants, flowers, trees, etc.
Have a beautiful flowering tree in your yard? Share it with us here!
You can even share growth across time, such as taking pictures of a vegetable garden each week across the growing season.
Participation is easy! Simply post a photo (or photos) on your own Instagram account (ideally as a story, so we can highlight it on the official Insta account) and tag @watchnewpaltzgrow. Additionally, you should use these hashtags: #watchnewpaltzgrow #holistichawks #yournamenewpaltzgarden (e.g., #SallySmithNewPaltzGarden). Note that this identifying hashtag will allow people to follow specific plants/gardens across the growing season (so if you want to see how Sally's tomato plants are doing, simply search for that identifying hashtag of #SallySmithNewPaltzGarden).
Note that participation can be as minimal or advanced as you'd like! If you simply see a great plant on campus and want to post a pic and tag us, go for it! If you want to share the growth of your home flower garden with the community across the season, by all means, do it!
Note that this project connects seamlessly with the SUNY New Paltz iNaturalist initiative, which includes a crowd-sourced database of natural features of the greater SUNY New Paltz area (including lots of flora). iNaturalist is great for identifying specific plants and animals. And you can easily add to the database as well!
Find us on Facebook and feel free to contact us there. Happy planting!!!
Note that this initiative was inspired by a panel discussion held in Spring 2020 with renowned alumna, Jenna Weinstein, who discussed ways to grow and stay positive during the pandemic.
SPONSORED BY HOLISTIC HAWKS WELL-BEING COMMITTEE