Students: Cate Adams, Emma Clopton, Isabelle Spirk, and Julie Wright
Describe at least 5 partnerships with individuals and/or organizations that have been formed, or could be formed, to advance your venture
Community Action Development Bethlehem:
- What constituted the partnership?
Another professor connected us with CADB and we started attending their Public + Green Space Committee meetings as well as a series of community town halls they held in the Spring.
2. How did the partner help you? How did you help them?
Our partnership with CADB helped connect us with community members who could provide insight on community needs, and we were able to demonstrate Lehigh’s willingness to participate in community projects and be a listening ear to the community.
- Was this a symbiotic relationship? Why or why not?
This is a symbiotic relationship but we could offer more to CADB as they have provided us with several resources and opportunities. However, we do know that they value our presence on behalf of the Lehigh community.
- What would help strengthen this partnership and make it more equitable?
What would make this partnership more equitable is being able to offer more concrete action items to CADB. While one of our fellows interns for them, the permaculture park itself mostly provides community support rather than specific events or initiatives.
Natural Builders’ Guild
- What constituted the partnership?
The 2022 team connected with Mark Southard from Artisanal Structures to assist with their toolshed project. Mark also is involved in the Natural Builders’ Guild, which is a volunteer group that helps to build structures for the local community out of natural materials.
2. How did the partner help you? How did you help them?
The NBG helped us to build our toolshed and is currently helping us with our archway and signage. In exchange, we provide promo for the NBG and genuine projects for them to take part in.
3. Was this a symbiotic relationship? Why or why not?
This is a symbiotic relationship, however, we could provide more for the NBG promotion wise. They do sincerely appreciate the work we provide for them, our project mission, and to be able to take part in a project that benefits a larger community.
4. What would help strengthen this partnership and make it more equitable?
What would help to make this partnership more equitable is be able to help the NBG more often potentially on other projects that are for the community. Ever since COVID, they have had a rough time keeping the organization together and finding projects to do. Also, we could direct them to contacts we are aware of that are in need of assistance from an organization like the NBG.
Lehigh Health and Wellness Center
- What constituted the partnership?
Two students from Sophomore pLUnge developed a project that helps students gain free access to locally grown produce. This is meant to combat the issue of limited healthy foods on campus. They reached out asking if we would be willing to provide food for the new fridge in the HWC
2. How did the partner help you? How did you help them?
The partnership helps us by giving us an outlet to give away our produce to the Lehigh community. We help them by providing the resources they need for students on a bi-weekly basis
3. Was this a symbiotic relationship? Why or why not?
Yes, this is a symbiotic relationship because they assist us in getting our produce out, and help us achieve our goal of providing nourishing food for the local community.
4. What would help strengthen this partnership and make it more equitable?
For them to provide assistance to our project by giving us more promo to get more students to know about our work. They could also support our project by providing resources to get seeds/plants to grow more food for the fridge. On our end, we could provide more produce for the HWC fridge, however we are fairly limited at this time.
Community Growers
- What constituted the partnership?
Community Growers is also a student organization at Lehigh invested in environmental initiatives at Lehigh, who we work with to table at the Bethlehem Farmers’ Market and to coordinate student events.
2. How did the partner help you? How did you help them?
- Community Growers helps us because they have large numbers and pull from Lehigh Students. Hosting events in conjunction with CG allows us to have productive work days with lots of students that helps us to get work done that otherwise would have taken much longer.
- We help CG because we provide a space for students interested in growing/planting food that they otherwise would not have.
3. Was this a symbiotic relationship? Why or why not?
This is a symbiotic relationship because we are able to help provide Community Growers with activities and learning opportunities, and connect them to other community-based organizations, and they are able to offer us physical support and student interest, helping to build our credibility.
4. What would help strengthen this partnership and make it more equitable?
We could make this partnership more equitable by offering opportunities for feedback so that we can better understand the needs of Community Growers and how their members feel about the events we do with them, rather than just planning them with the executive board of their club.
Bethlehem Farmers’ Market
- What constituted the partnership?
Previous teams of the permaculture park began the partnership with Bethlehem Farmers’ Market and regularly tabled at the market with the goal of educating about permaculture ethics and principles and community building. Our team has continued to do so this past summer and into the fall.
2. How did the partner help you? How did you help them?
This partner helped us by providing us with a space to promote our project and talk with Bethlehem residents.
3. Was this a symbiotic relationship? Why or why not?
This is less of a symbiotic relationship as they are providing us with the physical space to promote our project and we are just using it, but we could potentially draw more people to the Farmers’ Market as we do promote it beforehand when we have a presence.
4. What would help strengthen this partnership and make it more equitable?
What would help to strengthen this partnership is to potentially ask the staff or Farmers’ Market attendees about what they think of our presence so that we can further tailor it to the interests of the market and its attendees, so that we are contributing more to the overall scheme of the market and not just taking up space.
Kind Of Organizations Presentation — Southside Permaculture Park Response
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1wyvd3-e_3hEapVh1JNxURmf45bpEJICI988hLarwRxo/edit?usp=sharing