Green Dreams

Another inspiring tale about grassroots efforts to nurture the grass roots, Green Dreams profiles the work of SLUG (San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners). Something as simple as a garden has been shown to create jobs, get at-risk teens off the streets, rehabilitate addicts, counteract urban decay, encourage literacy and empathy, and build the self-esteem of disadvantaged people. Whew. The juxtaposition of trash and tenements with herbs and compost creates a thought-provoking contrast. Featured throughout are interviews with project leaders and Latino and African-American teens who have developed the commitment and caring needed to tend a garden, while learning marketable job skills and staying off the streets. Another project lets schoolkids discover that dirt, worms, and bees are good, not creepy. One NBA jacketed-kid vows to eat more salad after working in this educational garden. The stories in Green Dreams uplift and embolden, and would be useful for environmental engineering or urban studies programs. Aud: J, H, C, P. (A. Laker)