Groundwork Northeast Revitalization Group, KS

Groundwork Northeast Revitalization Group provides their Green Team–a high school-aged, paid youth group–with opportunities to lead every stage of land reuse and brownfield revitalization projects, from visioning to implementation to maintenance. In 2021, Green Team members developed a resident engagement toolkit to guide their efforts to identify priority restoration projects. Using the newly developed resource, they went door to door asking their neighbors to identify vacant lots or brownfield areas in need of revitalization and share their vision for how the sites could be put to better use.

With resident data in hand, the Green Team designed and completed three brownfield land reuse projects in 2021. First on the list was the transformation of a vacant lot in the historic Douglass/Sumner neighbor- hood into a community green space with native plants and a walking trail. The Green Team also collaborated with Turtle Hill Community Association residents to revitalize a vacant lot in their neighborhood. They reconfigured the space by adding solar-powered street lamps and a living, shady fence with 17 Arborvitae trees. Lastly, in the beautiful and historic Parkwood Park, the Team worked to clear Parkwood Stream of invasive species to allow native biodiversity to flourish. Through the transformation of neglected land into usable green spaces and participation in hands-on, community-driven work, youth are gaining the skills they need to become future social and environmental leaders.