Green the Eastside
In addition to making Charleston a leader in preventing climate change, we must adapt to what is already happening and prepare for what is to come. If we are going to live with rising seas, stronger storms, and rising temperatures, we will need to rapidly scale up our use of nature-based solutions and green infrastructure to divert stormwater and cool our city.
To that end, this year we began installing green infrastructure as part of our Lowcountry Climate Solutions Lab, starting with the Green the Eastside initiative in the Eastside neighborhood.
See what we’ve been up to below!
Rain Gardens
This fall, we planted 5 rain gardens in the Eastside, which contain a total of 228 native plants and have the capacity to divert and infiltrate over 3,000 gallons of water during a one-inch rain event.
Stop by and see our public gardens at Martin Park and Mall Playground! Many thanks to our garden hosts.
Food Forest
We believe in investing in both the short and long-term well-being of the communities with which we work, and in providing whatever benefits are possible with the resources we have. With this project, we have had the opportunity to provide a range of benefits, including a source of free, healthy food.
We planted a publicly accessible food forest of 20 fruit trees along Drake Street, thanks to the generous hosting of Trident Technical College. These include Mulberries, Paw Paws, Oranges, Pomegranates, Persimmons, Plums, and Strawberries. We hope the neighborhood will enjoy them as they mature!
Summer Camp
This July, we collaborated with the Eastside Community Development Corporation, Cultivate SciArt, and FADA Inc. to host a free summer camp for neighborhood youth. Activities focused on the basics of growing plants and their cultural, spiritual, and medicinal importance, and featured a field trip to Middleton Place. We can’t wait to see our campers again in 2026!
Other Native Plantings
In 2025, we planted or gave away over 300 additional native perennials, shrubs, and trees. These were done via volunteer plantings and plant giveaways during community events.
Check out our map of Green the Eastside plantings!
