PINE HILLS, Fla. – A quiet buzz fills the Pine Hills Community Garden as preschoolers from a local Head Start program gather excitedly around the garden beds.
“Hi everybody, welcome to the garden,” calls Kristen Anderson, the Chief Branch Officer of IDEAS For Us, a nonprofit focused on solving environmental challenges.
Ideas For Us began as a group of passionate UCF students trying to solve environmental issues. Today, they have projects across the globe.
But their roots are still here in Central Florida where one of their latest campaigns is this community garden.
“Watch your step, be mindful of the plant. Don’t step on it please,” Anderson reminds the children, keeping things calm as they approach the pumpkin vines.
For these young children, the garden offers a hands-on lesson in sustainability. They explore the Edible Landscapes project at the Pine Hills Community Center, designed to foster a love for nature and teach early environmental awareness.
As Anderson leads them around, she asks, “Does everybody have a seed?” Little hands shoot up. “What does it need to grow?” she prompts. “Water!” the children shout, thrilled to participate.
IDEAS For Us created this garden not only for kids but also for the Pine Hills Seniors Club, creating a space for both learning and intergenerational connection.
The benefits extend well beyond the children, though. Local seniors garden alongside them, sharing knowledge and traditions.
“They bond over the plants,” Anderson shared. “I overheard a conversation where someone said, ‘This plant grows in my country, and this is how we cook with it.’ It’s a beautiful moment for different cultures to come together, sharing recipes, traditions, and stories.”
IDEAS For Us has a mission to “develop, fund, and scale solutions to solve the world’s most pressing environmental challenges.” But Anderson notes the unique needs in Pine Hills: “One of our biggest challenges is ensuring that development includes natural landscapes, like native plants and community gardens, instead of clear-cutting these ecosystems.”
For her, the Pine Hills garden is part of a larger effort to ensure sustainable development aligns with nature.
In the month and a half since the garden was established, it’s already showing signs of life. Eggplants, red okra, peppers, and native spinach thrive in the garden, demonstrating how organic, pesticide-free practices can produce healthy food. “We’re growing plants that are naturally resilient here,” Anderson says, pointing to the red okra plants that can withstand Florida’s hot climate.
Back at the garden, Anderson shows the children a watermelon vine. “It starts as a tiny sprout and grows into a big watermelon!” she explains.
The garden’s pollinator area also plays an essential role, attracting bees and butterflies. “Without bees, we wouldn’t have many of the foods we eat,” she tells the group, helping them understand the crucial role pollinators play in agriculture.
The seniors are just as enchanted by the “toilet paper mint,” a medicinal plant, and other herbs like dill, cilantro, and sage. It’s hands-on lessons like these that Anderson hopes will instill lifelong practices in environmental stewardship.
The garden is not only a place of learning but also of connection.
“It’s so valuable for everyone,” Anderson says, watching as seniors share their gardening experiences with the children. “Being outside, surrounded by nature, and working with plants provides a space for physical and mental well-being while building a sense of community.”
Pine Hills, known for its diversity, now has a garden to bring residents together. For Anderson and her team at IDEAS For Us, this is just the beginning. The organization hopes to expand these community projects to more neighborhoods and schools, providing the tools and resources needed for local residents to participate in sustainable practices.
As the children and seniors leave, Anderson encourages them to keep gardening. “We want to make sure everyone has the ability to do this,” she says, waving as the kids yell goodbye.
For Pine Hills, this garden represents more than plants - it’s a shared space where connections grow and memories are made.
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