Capstone Project Proposal – Urban Gardening

For my capstone project, I plan to focus on how urban gardening can help create a healthier planet. With the increasing ramifications of global climate issues and our countries current wasteful habits, it is critical for Americans to look at ways to live more of a sustainable lifestyle. Urban gardening is an excellent way to reduce one’s impact on the environment.

Learning how to grow organic foods, compost, and raise urban livestock at home or as part of a community garden can provide a self-sufficient food supply as well as bringing greater biodiversity back into our local environments. There are many ways to sustainably and affordably do this. Some of which are using rain barrels to collect water, using worm bins for composting food and paper scraps, collecting seeds from organic plants, reusing newspapers to make pots to grow seedlings, and using items from your kitchen to help with pest management.

I will be creating a video remix with animated elements throughout to showcase areas on the following:
1) Why? Environmental and health issues examples.
2) What are the benefits? For you: fresh produce, reduced waste, beautiful yard. For the environment: reduced carbon footprint, biodiversity, helping bees.
3) How to in tight spaces? Community gardens are a great way for renters or those with no yard to have the opportunity to grow their food. Container and vertical gardens are an excellent way for renters and those with small spaces to maximize their growing area.
4) Tips and ideas for affordable and sustainable practices. Like, recycle items to make useful gardening items. How to composting to create soil, fertilizer and reduce waste. Ways to collect seeds for next seasons crops. Plus, ways to help save on water.

Since many people have a hard time knowing when to plant what, I’m going to create an infographic that shows the different growing times of fruit and vegetables in the Pacific Northwest.