The Eco Advocates hope to build the Armstrong community by allowing students to get involved in the community garden.

The start of Eco Advocates was inspired by a previous club called Go Green. With the help of former students and Statesboro’s Green Ambassadors, Junior Bryce Bermudez was able to refine the club into what it is today.

Initially taken care of by the Coastal Gardening Society under Armstrong Atlantic State University, the community garden was passed into the hands of the Eco Advocates after the university consolidation.

“It kind of got a lot more stagnant after Georgia Southern consolidated Armstrong,” the Writing and Linguistics major said.

After a year and a half of replacing rotten plant beds, weeding and assigning leadership positions, the Eco Advocates was finally recognized as an official university organization in 2021.

Eco Advocate’s Garden Manager Sarah Beth Waller used her experience in organic farming to renovate the weed-ridden garden.

“It’s been such a, like, good mental thing for me too,” Waller, a Biology major, said. “I mean, you kind of go through and see all that come to fruition. It’s really important.”

A wide variety of produce is grown in the garden, such as strawberries, carrots, lettuce, jalapenos and potatoes, just to name a few. Several herbs have been planted, as well.

Bermudez said that the garden teaches people more than just how to grow produce.

“This is a great space for a lot of people to come and learn about food sovereignty and being independent and economically reliant on yourself rather than other things, but also just connecting with the earth,” he said.

Waller purchases the plants and garden materials herself. Other supplies were donated through students or repurposed from outside organizations.

They hope to set up a monetary donation system that anyone is welcome to contribute to within the coming months. For now, they are set on increasing membership.

Waller and Bermudez encourage more students to take part in other events they host, such as beach cleanups and plant scavenger hunts.

The garden is located next to the university police station outside of the Science Center. If you’re interested in joining Eco Advocates, go to their linktree to access their social media and GroupMe.