The new Southside Permaculture park in Bethlehem, Pa. on Sept. 30, 2021. The new park hopes to bring the community together around gardening (J24/Ben Dickson).

Cat Spellman fixes a fence at the Southside Permaculture Park in Bethlehem, Pa. on Oct. 4, 2021. This fence is meant to keep deer out of the freshly growing produce (J24/Ben Dickson).

Cat Spellman talks to students in Bethlehem, Pa. on Sept. 30, 2021. Spellman was educating these students about the newly constructed herb spiral (J24/Ben Dickson).

Students listen to a talk being given by a park employee in Bethlehem, Pa. on Sept. 30, 2021. The park hopes to offer educational experiences to students all over Bethlehem (J24/Ben Dickson).

Students leave their backpacks on a stump at the Southside Permaculture Park on Sept. 30, 2021. The park hopes to keep hosting students frequently (J24/Ben Dickson).

An educational sign hangs at the Southside Permaculture Park in Bethlehem, Pa. on Sept. 30, 2021. The goal of the park is to educate and provide a place to gather for people in the community (J24/Ben Dickson

Cat Spellman poses for a picture at the park in Bethlehem, Pa. on Oct.4, 2021. Spellman just finished constructing the herb spiral pictured here (J24/Ben Dickson).

Cat Spellman gives a talk to students next to the herb spiral in Bethlehem, Pa. on Sept. 30, 2021. Spellman put much time into constructing the substantial herb spiral (J24/Ben Dickson).

Plants growing on the herb spiral in Bethlehem, Pa. on Sept. 30, 2021. Community members can come harvest anything the need from the park whenever they need to (J24/Ben Dickson).

A close-up image of flowers growing at the Southside Permaculture Park in Bethlehem, Pa. on Sept. 30, 2021. The workers at the park have dedicated much of their time to make the park look gorgeous (J24/Ben Dickson).

Crops grow inside a fenced area in Bethlehem, Pa. on Sept. 30, 2021. Community members often come and harvest the produce they need (J24/Ben Dickson).

A tomato grows in the garden in Bethlehem, Pa. on Sept. 30, 2021. The tomatoes at the park are just starting to ripen (J24/Ben Dickson).

A new community garden, the Southside Permaculture Park has recently opened up in Southside Bethlehem. In a project run by Lehigh’s Summer Mountaintop Program, Lehigh students have helped create a new garden less than a block off of campus that will provide the community with fresh produce, educational opportunities, and a place to gather.

“Before this summer, Southside Bethlehem had almost no community green spaces,” said Cat Spellman, one of the founding members and current heads of the Southside Permaculture Park. “It is truly a real problem for the community when they are not provided with enough green space. Fresh produce can be hard to come by for many in Southside Bethlehem because of this issue.”

The park’s goal is to help fix this issue, and to also bring the community together. Community members can come harvest produce that they need at any time, and they are encouraged to help improve and maintain the park. According to Spellman, these goals have so far been extremely successful.

The Southside Permaculture Park also is looking to educate the community about growing produce in a sustainable, green, and efficient way. They have already hosted many educational events for both Lehigh students and community members. So far, the turnout for these events has been greater than initially expected, which comes as a joy to park employees. “It is amazing to see the community embracing this new green space,” said Spellman. “Projects like these show how beneficial educational and green gathering places can be for the community.”

Spellman hopes to keep expanding the current Southside Agriculture Park from where it stands today. While the park already offers an herb spiral, plentiful fruits and vegetables, and much natural beauty, Spellman and others continue to work to expand the park. As the park keeps expanding and adding new plants, the hope is that even more community engagement will come with it.

“The Southside Permaculture Park has been such a rewarding experience for everyone involved,” said Spellman. “I hope to pass this project on to many generations of Lehigh students and community members in the upcoming years.”