Exploring the Park with Chinatown HOPE

On October 23 and December 4, 2023 the Greenway Conservancy welcomed Chinatown residents to the Greenway for a full tour of the park. This tour was part of an initiative, Chinatown HOPE, a collective of eight Chinatown organizations with the goal of leveraging and building upon existing assets to create lasting impacts on residents and the Boston Chinatown community. As a member of this initiative, the Greenway Conservancy wanted to highlight Chinatown HOPE’s mission to decrease social isolation and increase community cohesion by activating open space in Chinatown through gardening, arts, cultural programming, and resident leadership development (learn more here). Conservancy team members were joined by representatives of other Chinatown HOPE organizations (including the Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC), Chinatown Community Land Trust, Chinese Progressive Association) to emphasize the importance and accessibility of green and open space available to these residents, and highlight the Greenway’s programming as a free resource.在2023年10月23日和12月4日，綠道保護協會邀請唐人街居民參與一場完整的綠道導覽。這場導覽是Chinatown HOPE倡議的一部分，由八個唐人街組織聯手合作，旨在充分發揮現有資源，對波士頓唐人街社區居民產生深遠影響。綠道保護協會作為這項倡議的一部分，希望突顯Chinatown HOPE的使命，即透過在唐人街推動園藝、藝術、文化活動以及居民領導培訓，來減少社交孤立並促進社區凝聚力（詳情請參閱此處）。保護協會的團隊成員與其他唐人街HOPE組織的代表一同參與了導覽，包括亞美社區發展協會、華埠土地信託會、華人前進會，共同強調了綠地和開放空間對居民的重要性和可及性，同時突顯綠的活動和節目是一個免費的資源。

Three Chinatown residents pose for a photo on the tour in Dewey Square. (Olivia Moon Photography) 三位唐人街居民在Dewey Square的導覽中擺出姿勢合照。（Olivia Moon Photography攝）

The tour began at the viewing gardens in Chinatown (the southernmost point of the Greenway), and traveled to the North and West Ends. Along the tour route, residents heard about the various neighborhoods along the Greenway (the Leather District, Wharf, Fort Point, North End). Several Greenway Conservancy Staff joined in different neighborhoods and shared about their roles at the Conservancy and in the park. This tour was led by Chris Cook, Executive Director,  PhuongDuy Tran, Programs Manager, and Avery Morgan, Volunteer and External Affairs Coordinator. The Greenway provided live interpretation in both Cantonese and Mandarin for residents.

導覽由唐人街的觀景花園（綠道的最南端）開始，然後沿著北部和西部前進。在導覽路線上，居民們了解到綠道經過的不同社區（皮革區、碼頭、Fort Point、北區）。綠道保護協會的一些工作人員在不同的社區加入了導覽，並分享了他們在協會和公園中的職責。這次導覽由執行董事Chris Cook、活動經理PhuongDuy Tran和義工及對外事務統籌Avery Morgan帶領。綠道為居民提供了廣東話和普通話的現場口譯。

Residents walk through the Wharf lawn as they learn about free programming that occurs year round in Rowes Wharf Plaza. (Olivia Moon Photography) 居民在碼頭草地漫步，同時了解有關Rowes Wharf Plaza全年提供的免費活動節目。（Olivia Moon Photography攝）

Residents had the chance to learn about various programming initiatives in the park that they were welcome to take part in. The group was led to the Viewing Garden behind Mary Soo Hoo Park, where they met Sam Trulli, Turf and Irrigation Horticulturist, and Horticulture Volunteer, Mary Beth Curtis. Sam described the array of organic fauna they oversee in Chinatown. They specifically highlighted how important the regular support of volunteers like Mary Beth is to the park. Residents had the chance to walk through the Viewing Garden, and ask questions about horticulture in this area of the park that many enjoy so much. Chris was able to elaborate on the intentional design of the landscape and pathways throughout Mary Soo Hoo and Auntie Kay & Uncle Frank Chin Park.

居民們有機會了解到各種可參與的公園活動項目。導覽團來到司徒麗英公園的觀景花園，在那裡居民們與草坪和灌溉園藝師Sam Trulli以及園藝義工Mary Beth Curtis會面。Sam向居民介紹了ta在唐人街管理的有機植物種類，並特別強調了像Mary Beth這樣的義工對公園的定期支持的重要性。居民有機會在觀景花園中漫步，並提出有關這個受歡迎的公園區域的園藝方面的問題。Chris進一步解釋了司徒麗英公園以及陳毓禮黃麗蓉伉儷公園整體景觀和路徑的刻意設計。

Residents explore the Viewing Garden in Chinatown. (Olivia Moon Photography) 居民探索唐人街的觀景花園。（Olivia Moon Photography攝）

Horticulture efforts and projects were of particular interest to many residents as they strolled through the park. Many residents were enthusiastic to learn about the Dewey Demonstration Garden. Darrah Cole, Senior Horticulturist and Designer, shared that the edible produce grown in this garden is all donated to local food rescue organization, St. Francis House. 

很多居民在遊覽公園時對園藝工作和項目特別有興趣。很多居民都很積極了解Dewey示範花園。高級園藝師兼設計師Darrah Cole分享說，這個花園種植的食用作物都會全部捐贈給本地的食物拯救組織 St. Francis House。

Darrah Cole, Senior Horticulturist and Designer, shows the group some of the edible produce grown in the Dewey Demonstration Garden. (Olivia Moon Photography) 高級園藝師兼設計師Darrah Cole向導覽團展示在Dewey示範花園種植的一些食用作物.（Olivia Moon Photography攝）

Residents explore the Dewey Demonstration Garden. (Olivia Moon Photography)
居民探索Dewey範花園。（Olivia Moon Photography攝）

As a response to this enthusiasm, Maggie Renou, Zone Horticulturist for the North End, joined the tour on December 4 to answer any questions as the group made their way through the park. Residents enjoyed learning about the pollinator homes found throughout the park. Tori Hiney, Ecology and Horticulture Supervisor, and Maggie Renou, gave residents an up-close look at the tubes that held native solitary wasps nesting for the cold winter months. As this second tour was during a colder part of the year, residents were encouraged to take a short walk again through the park in the spring time to see all of the native plants these pollinators would support as they bloom.

為了回應大家的熱情，北區園藝師Maggie Renou於12月4日加入了導覽團，方便在團隊遊覽公園的過程中回答任何問題。居民對了解公園各處的傳粉者巢感到很興奮。生態和園藝主管Tori Hiney以及Maggie Renou向居民展示了本地獨居蜂巢的管道，它們正在為應對寒冷的冬季而築巢。由於這次導覽發生在一年中較冷的時候，工作人員鼓勵居民在春季再次遊覽公園，欣賞這些傳粉者在開花時所支持的所有本地植物。

Maggie Renou, Zone Horticulturist for the North End, shows the group a sedentary wasp nesting in one of the pollinator homes’ tubes. (Photo Credit: Chinese Progressive Association Staff)
北區園藝師Maggie Renou向導賞團展示了一隻棲息在傳粉者巢的管道中的靜止的黃蜂。(華人前進會職員攝)

Throughout these two tour dates, Executive Director, Chris Cook, made clear the importance of the history of Boston from its origins as indigenous land, to the home ownership of Zipporah Potter Atkins, the construction of the Mill Pond, and to present day climate resilience concerns as the Greenway is coastal and built on man-made land. The Conservancy staff and Chinatown HOPE representatives also highlighted the history of displacement from the elevated highway, and the role that Chinatown HOPE plays to protect communities like Chinatown’s working class from displacement and isolation from access to green and open space. The tour concluded at North Meadow, the newest addition to the Greenway, as a space that provided greater opportunity for connection of the park throughout Boston. Chinatown HOPE is committed to ensuring residents like these have equitable access to open space and The Greenway affirmed its commitment to this goal to these residents on this tour. Chinatown HOPE aspired to coordinate more visits like these in the future for residents to show the Conservancy how to further its commitment to making this park for all communities visiting or residing in Boston.

在這兩次導覽中，執行董事Chris Cook清楚強調了波士頓的歷史重要性，從其原住民土地的起源，到Zipporah Potter Atkins擁有的房產，再到Mill Pond的建設，以及目前的氣候韌性考量，因為綠道處於沿海地區和人造土地上。保護協會的工作人員和Chinatown HOPE代表也突顯了由於架空公路而導致的搬遷歷史，以及Chinatown HOPE在保護像唐人街這樣的工人階級社區免受流離失所、無法接觸綠地和開放空間中所扮演的角色。導覽在北草坪結束，這是綠道的最新擴建部分，提供更多機會連結整個波士頓公園。Chinatown HOPE致力確保像導覽參與者這樣的居民能平等進入開放空間，而綠道在這次導覽中向這些居民確認了實現這一目標的承諾。Chinatown HOPE期望未來能組織更多類似的遊覽，讓居民能展示給保護協會如何進一步履行將這個公園打造成為所有波士頓社區或居民的共享場所的承諾。

The group poses for a photo on October 23 in the Fort Point area of the park. (Olivia Moon Photography)
導賞團於10月23日在公園的Fort Point區域合影。（Olivia Moon Photography攝）

The group poses for a photo on December 4 in the North End. (Photo Credit: Chinese Progressive Association Staff)
導賞團於12月4日在北區合影。(華人前進會職員攝)