Community Gardens
UC San Diego has several campus gardens and one San Diego community garden that promote education and the growth of sustainable food and local produce.
Grow at UCSD
Contact us by email, sustain@ucsd.edu, or on Facebook, Grow @ UCSD.
Join the Garden Discord and reach out to our community! Navigate to each garden's channel to ask questions or to see what each garden is doing.
Composting on Campus
Soon, our waste hauler will start recycling organics, like food scraps. Until then, campus community members can take their food scraps to these student gardens: Ellie's Garden, Marshall Community Garden, Mesa Nueva/Nuevo West Garden, Roger's Urban Farmlab and Warren Grow.
What They Accept
- Fruits and vegetables
- Eggshells and nutshells
- Coffee grounds/filters
- Tea bags
- Paper and cardboard (uncoated, cut into small pieces)
- Newspaper (shredded)
- Houseplants
- Hair and fur
- Fireplace ashes (from natural wood only)
- Yard trimmings, including leaves, grass clippings, hay, straw, sawdust, and wood chips
What’s Considered Trash
- Coal or charcoal ash (might contain substances harmful to plants)
- Dairy products and eggs (create odor problems and attract pests)
- Diseased or insect ridden plants (could transfer to other plants)
- Fat, grease, lard and cooking oils
- Meat or fish bones and scraps (could carry pathogens)
- Pet feces or litter (could contain viruses harmful to humans)
- Yard trimmings treated with chemicals
- Brown, bamboo, bagasse paper, bleached paper or PLA products, including plates, napkins, cups, clamshells and utensils
- Candy and gum
Community Art Terrace
Mission
Our mission at the CAT Garden is to incorporate gardening, education and social justice in an outdoor learning environment to develop aware students that understand the connectedness of communal wellbeing, sustainable practices and a sense of environmental responsibility.
Location
Sixth College (NTPLLN), Kaleidoscope, Floor 7
Instagram
@catgardenatsixth
How to Get Involved
Join Sixth College CoBoard! Active members are invited to participate in the garden. GBMs are held Mondays at 7 p.m. Message our instagram or email for more information. Instagram: @sixthcoboard
Contact
catgardensixthcollege@gmail.com, 6coboard@gmail.com
Ellie's Garden
Mission
By creating and maintaining a communal garden in Eleanor Roosevelt College, we strive to share gardening and life-long sustainable practices, involve people in the slow food process and create a greener ERC community. Watch the video.
Location
Eleanor Roosevelt College Victory Plot near Africa Hall and The Farm near Europe Halls (map)
Meetings and Gardening Sessions
Meeting times and gardening sessions change each academic quarter. Visit us online or contact us for current schedule.
Facebook
Ellie’s Garden
Instagram
@elliesgardenerc
Contact
elliesgardenERC@gmail.com
Marshall Community Garden
Mission
As guided by the philosophy of Thurgood Marshall College, to develop the scholar and the citizen, the Community Garden will serve as an opportunity to learn about social responsibility through sustainable living, an outdoor study area and a means to develop a close-knit Marshall community.
Location
Next to Fireside Lounge (map)
Meetings
Meeting times change each academic quarter. Visit us online or contact us for current schedule.
Facebook
Marshall Community Garden
Contact
marshallcommunitygarden70@gmail.com
For fastest response to quick questions, message us at our outreach GroupMe.
Mesa Nueva/Nuevo West Garden
Mission
Our garden mission is to provide residents of Mesa Nueva and Nuevo West with the opportunity to garden while residing in these two graduate housing communities. To join our plot waitlist, email mesanueva@ucsd.edu and inquire about plot availability.
Location
East of the Marea Building and north of the Central Mesa Large Playground
Instagram
Follow us for regular updates: @mesanuevacompst
Contact
In addition to our garden, we have an additional sustainability mission to provide and maintain a compost collection site available to all members of the graduate housing community. Grad housing garden compost is a labor of love run entirely by volunteers! If you would like to join us, complete our New Volunteer Sign-up Form.
Muir Half Moon Meadow
Mission
Muir’s Half Moon Meadow is a community garden that provides a space and the opportunity for students to learn gardening skills, enjoy some plants and grow their own food while also encouraging sustainable life-long practices.
Location
Muir College next to Middle of Muir and the Tamarack Apartments (map)
Meetings
Our meeting time changes every quarter. Contact us for updated schedules.
Instagram
Follow us for regular updates @plants.gardening.
Contact
muirshalfmoonmeadow@gmail.com
Nuevo East Garden
Location
South of Astilla Building
Contact
Nuevo East Housing Office, nuevo-easthdh@ucsd.edu
Roger's Community Garden
Mission
We are a student space and resource for students, staff, faculty and alumni to come together to learn about agriculture, organic gardening and sustainability. We support all student projects and provide land for growing your own food. Watch the video.
Location
Quarter acre south of the Che Cafe and East of the Wagner Dance Studios (map)
Garden Volunteer Hours
Sundays, 10 a.m. to noon
Facebook
Roger's Community Garden at UCSD
Contact
rogerscommunitygarden@gmail.com
SERF Urban Patio
Location
Fourth floor balcony on the south and east sides of Science and Engineering Research Facility
Contact
Angela Berti
News
Galaxy Gardener
Seventh College Garden
Mission
To grow healthy food onsite in order to combat food insecurity and build community in Seventh College.
Location
The Seventh College West, next to the BBQ area
Contact
seventhstudentaffairs@ucsd.edu
South Mesa Garden
Student Center Garden
At the Student Center Garden, everything grown is edible. It is a sustainable garden that offers fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables to students through the Triton Food Pantry. The garden also serves as a quiet place for reflection for visitors.
Contact
University Center Sustainability, ucensustain@ucsd.edu
Location
Patio below the LGBT Resource Center
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/UniversityCenters/
Warren Grow
Mission
We aim to build a community where students work to create, maintain and explore sustainable food systems through sustainable agriculture.
Location
Between the Student Activity Center and Goldberg Hall
Meetings and Workdays/Volunteer Hours
Times change every quarter and appear on our Facebook page under the additional information section or in our Instagram bio. You can find all our social media on our linktree below. No sign up or experience required. Just show up ready to get involved!
Linktree
https://linktr.ee/warrengrow
Resources
- Engaging University Students in Local School Gardens: A Toolkit for School Districts, Non-Profit Organizations and Universities
- When Students Lead: The Leadership Development Training Program
- From Seed to Food Security: Integrating Student Agriculture with Basic Needs Security