A Public Health Legacy and Addition to Campus
Celebrating GMercyU ’ s new Campus Learning Garden and Cistern
GMercyU ’ s picturesque , 145- acre campus is the perfect home for a garden . Thanks to our Public Health program — as well as seed funding from the Montgomery County Health Alliance and donors Richard and Kathleen Target ’ 69 — a large garden of fruit , vegetables , herbs , and pollinating flowers sits in a sunny stretch of earth next to Valie Genuardi Hall .
“ The first graduating cohort of the Public Health program ( Class of 2023 ) proposed the Campus Learning Garden as a space for students to practice public health while addressing physical health , mental health , and food insecurity ,” Public Health Program Director Sharla Willis ,
DrPH , CHES said .
Public Health students helped construct the garden ’ s first raised beds in spring 2023 . A year later , students from across the University worked with Dr . Willis to expand the garden to more than 600 square feet of beds full of berries , watermelon , garlic , carrots , radishes , squash , herbs , and more . In addition , more than 230 square feet of beds full of native plants help attract pollinators , thanks to the generous donation of plants and design skills of Jonathan Nuss , owner of David Brothers Nursery in Norristown , Pa . Benches and a picnic table provide space for lunch , classes , or events .
In summer 2024 , an herb garden was planted , funded through a grant from the Pennsylvania Heartland Herb Society submitted by Public Health major Chelsea Golin ’ 24 .
Students harvest produce from the garden which helps supply Catherine ’ s Cupboard , GMercyU ’ s on-campus pantry for students experiencing food insecurity .
“ The goal is for the GMercyU community to see the garden as a space where they can come to rest , tend the garden , or harvest for Catherine ’ s Cupboard . The garden is for our community to enjoy ,” Dr . Willis said .
Irrigating the Garden with a Haitian-Style Cistern
In spring 2024 , a cistern was constructed adjacent to the garden . It collects rainwater from the roof of Valie Genuardi Hall , which is used to irrigate the garden .
In past years , GMercyU ’ s partnership with Mercy Focus on Haiti has raised funds to purchase cisterns to provide clean water for the people of Gros Morne , Haiti . The new GMercyU cistern brings Haiti to our campus , helping our community visualize the work and the need for potable water .
Social Work majors and other students , faculty , and staff assisted with the building of the cistern under the direction of Structural Engineer Johann Zimmermann of JZ Engineering of Harrisonburg , Va .
JZ Engineering specializes in projects for underserved and marginalized communities . In 2020 , Zimmermann traveled to Haiti to train 18 masons in cistern building through Mercy Focus on Haiti .
10 TODAY
Left : Students harvesting carrots
Right : Richard and Kathleen Target ’ 69 , Kathleen Roeder , MD , Jonathan Nuss , and Dr . Sharla Willis