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Environment and Community Health
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 At Trenton Central High School, students in the environmental club installed an ornamental garden at the main campus' entrance. Isles provided the equipment and tools; Hamiliton Ecological Facility donated compost and mulch. At the high school's west campus, Isles has been coordinating the planting of a vegetable garden. Mike Yaris, science teacher and environmental club advisor, is happy with the partnership: "On behalf of the staff and students at Trenton Central High School, I would like to thank Isles, and in particular, (senior project manager) Meredith Taylor for helping us plant the flower garden in front of our school. It is my hope that this will be the first of many collaborations between our Environmental Club and Isles."
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 The Third Annual Spirit Walk was held on Saturday, May 3, as part of a yearlong walking campaign to promote healthy lifestyles. What made this year’s event special is that the route was revised to include a three-mile loop, in addition to the one-mile loop. The longer route traveled along the Delaware and Raritan Canal across to West State Street and back to Cadwalader Park. The new loop provided a demanding fitness challenge for many participants. Most of the 500 attendees accepted the challenge and returned to the park with smiles on their faces from the accomplishment. The event was a collaborative effort between faith, civic organizations and Isles.
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| Isles is testing Trenton homes built before 1971 for lead. Click here to learn the details of this free opportunity. |
Isles improves health and the physical environment through community-based research, education and action. Among its opportunities are community gardening, restoration of public open space, nutrition education, lead-poisoning prevention, and fitness and wellness initiatives. These programs help improve the health and environment for city residents who are disproportionately affected by adverse indoor and outdoor environmental conditions.
Community Gardening and Nutrition
Isles’ Community Gardening and Nutrition Program addresses the critical challenges of fresh food access, urban beautification, and open space preservation throughout Trenton. Isles provides technical and organizing assistance to help residents transform neglected parcels of urban land into food-producing, ornamental, and recreational open spaces. Additionally, Isles works with schools to create on-site gardens and to implement horticulture and nutrition programs for students. With 33 community gardens and nine school gardens, Isles runs the most extensive community gardening program in the state, as well as one of the longest running. Elizabeth Johnson, COO of Isles, established the Rutgers Newark Urban Gardening program in 1978, four years before she began Isles' program in Trenton.
Healthy Homes
Isles’ Healthy Homes Program provides education and home repairs to help community residents address home health hazards-lead contamination, pests and misuse of pesticides, harsh cleaning products, environmental triggers for asthma, second-hand smoke, combustion products and mold. Isles tests homes to document environmental health hazards (particularly in substandard housing) and pursues effective organizing and advocacy strategies for corrective and preventive action. Isles has co-produced two instructional videos: Dust Does Not Discriminate and Arrest the Pests in Your Nest.
Trenton Spirit Walk
The Trenton Spirit Walk is a fitness initiative that involves collaborating with faith and civic organizations working together to make the city a better place for walking and to encourage exercise for good health. Activities include creating walking loops around faith locations, establishing organized walking groups and organizing an annual walk and health fair in Cadwalader Park.
Environmental Education Field Trips sles connects students and adults to the natural and ever-changing world around them using Trenton's schools, parks and neighborhoods as its laboratory.
In 2007, Isles’ community gardeners harvested approximately 50,000 pounds of fresh produce from 33 gardens, increasing the self-reliance of 3,000 individuals. Lead poisoning prevention presentations raised the awareness of more than 1,000 adults and children and 40 homes were made lead-safe. More than 500 people gathered at Cadwalader Park to complete a one-mile walk. More than 1,000 Trenton students increased their knowledge about the environment and community health by participating in environmental education field trips.
 Children at Washington Elementary School in Trenton spent Earth Day planting seedlings at a new school garden.
Click here to see the WZBN story.
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