CREA Fellows Visit Gardopia Gardens on San Antonio’s East Side

Our second CREA visit of the season brought fellows to the east side of San Antonio, where we were warmly welcomed by Dominic Dominguez and the team at Gardopia Gardens.

Dominic and a CREA student currently internining shared the story of how Gardopia Gardens came to life and how it has grown into a deeply rooted community organization. Today, their work reaches roughly 60 schools across the San Antonio area, helping students engage with food, soil, and the natural systems that sustain us. While Gardopia is often recognized for its institutional partnerships and educational programs, what stood out most to our fellows was something more personal. They are simply good neighbors. If someone in the community needs help and Gardopia has the tools or capacity, they show up. That spirit of generosity and accessibility is a big part of what makes their impact so meaningful.

After touring their main site on North New Braunfels, where students got a close look at their growing systems and community programming, we headed over to the Young Women's Leadership Academy Primary. There, CREA fellows rolled up their sleeves and got to work alongside the Gardopia team, spreading mulch and compost and helping plant out new beds.

These hands on moments are where everything starts to click. Soil, food, education, and community all come together in a very real way. We are grateful to Dominic Dominguez and the entire Gardopia Gardens team for welcoming us in and for the work they continue to do every day across San Antonio.