A group of campers got their hands dirty to make Lower Manhattan a more cheerful place. They replanted a garden three blocks from the World Trade Center site, nearly a year after the terrorist attacks destroyed it.
"The garden was just dust," said 14-year-old volunteer Elliot Hendler. "Nobody came to clean it up."
Hendler goes to a camp operated by Manhattan Youth, a community organization that runs a number of programs throughout downtown Manhattan. He and his fellow campers planted the garden the previous summer. After the collapse of the World Trade Center, the garden was trampled and covered in soot.
On August 7, campers dusted off the garden and clipped weeds twisted around a fence and sprouting from cracks in the ground. They shoveled holes into the ground, watered them, and put plants back in.
"It was fun," said Katie Korolkova. "It helped people in the neighborhood. People think it's more colorful with plants."
Their only complaint: the weeds stunk. Otherwise, the campers had a good time, getting the job done on a clear warm day, chatting with passers by who stopped to ask them what they were doing.
Gregory Kozma was glad to do something for the community. "I think the garden brings some relief to the community," he said. "It brightens up the neighborhood."
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