Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Local children, volunteers, families, and businesses have united throughout Puerto Vallarta to build the first-of its-kind Rivera Cuale-PEACE Community Garden. The space is welcoming an increasing number of local youth who come to learn about indigenous plants and flowers, composting, nutrition and sustainable food production.

Hands-on workshops taught by PEACE staff and volunteers are underway at the garden in Rivera Cuale condominiums where teachers from both public and private schools will integrate ecology into their curriculums during school hours.

“The garden is flourishing with so many helping hands, it is encouraging to see all of the enthusiasm behind this project!” said Nicole Majewski, Community Relations Director at PEACE.

The first Vallarta Adventures "voluntour" group visited the garden on Sunday March 27th, in which cruise ship guests helped weed, build a trellis system, teach kids about seedlings, and start a compost bed. The Puerto Vallarta Garden Club also supported the project, providing consulting and volunteer hours.

“We’ve seen overwhelming support from the local and foreign community as well as local businesses,” Majewski said. “Everyone is so passionate about teaching youth about the environment and organic food. Although it is on private property, it truly is a community garden, with all demographics from this diverse city represented and contributing to its success.”

For more information or to donate supplies, contact Nicole(at)peacemexico.org.

PEACE, (Protection, Education, Animals, Culture, Environment) established in 2005, is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization made up of three main programs which focus on education, animal well-being, and environmental protection in the Bay of Banderas, Nayarit, Mexico. PEACE works hand-in-hand with communities in Mexico to provide holistic education, combined with community action programs that enable people to improve their quality of life as well as their financial stability.

For more information, please visit PeaceMexico.org or click HERE to read more about PEACE