On Saturday, July 31, members of Root- Riot Harambee joined the Austin Green Team’s tour of several community gardens on Chicago’s west side. The Austin Green Team, in partnership with such organizations as lNeighborSpace www.neighbor-space.org and Greencorps Chicago greencorps@cityofchicago.org, has created amazing and beautiful gardens in what were often abandoned, crime ridden, debris filled, and unkempt vacant lots. Saturday was also the Austin Green Team’s annual celebration so we were treated to lunch and enjoyed a performance of the Exodus Drum and Bugle Corps.
The gardens we visited were:
- Vision on Menard Garden located on the corner of Division St. and Menard Ave.
- Paradise Garden, the first community garden in the Austin neighborhood, located at Latrobe Ave. and Huron St.; a flower and vegetable garden
- Peace in the Valley Garden, located at Leclaire Ave. and Maypole Ave.
- Memorial Garden, dedicated to the memory of Austin neighborhood community activists; recipients are honored with an engraved red brick; located at Laramie Ave. and Washington Blvd.
- Ricky Memorial Garden, located at Lamon Ave. and West End Ave.
- Unity Garden, located 5100 W. Fulton
- We also visited two private gardens of Austin Green Team members
Root-Riot Urban Garden Network 
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