Birmingham Southern College Opens 12th EcoScape (slideshow)

The Southern Environmental Center at Birmingham Southern College opened its 12th EcoScape garden in the Birmingham region this month. The 12th EcoScape is located in the industrial community of Tarrant, a city known for coke ovens and steel making.

For more than a decade, the Southern Environmental Center has been building EcoScape gardens in the most unlikely places. For example, one garden is home to the water-cress darter, an endangered species. Other gardens are located in previously abandoned lots in economically distressed neighborhoods.

An innovative community revitalization and environmental education project, SEC EcoScapes have not only enhanced local communities, they have also become community outdoor nature classrooms serving thousands of people of all ages.

Photos: Pat Byington