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Our Leadership
Arina+Irena - Member Leaders
We’re a mother‑in‑law / daughter‑in‑law duo, both immigrants, and love Philadelphia, particularly the garden - Fishtown’s/EKNA's hidden oasis. When the fam moved to Philly in 2018, the neighborhood had plenty of concrete and not many safe green corners for kids. This garden changed that: the moment you step through the gate, your heart rate drops and the noise fades. We’ve kept a plot near the fence most years since, sharing tomatoes, stories, and space for little hands to dig. What we love most is how the garden welcomes everyone—no matter what’s happening beyond the fence, this patch of soil keeps hope and community growing.
Meghan - Media Leader
We were fortunate enough to learn about the garden from one of our neighbors last spring and it has quickly become a little green oasis for our family! With two little ones, we feel so lucky to have access to a safe green space for our girls to run, explore and connect with the others. We are so grateful for the friends and community we've been able to make by sharing this space! I'm so excited to be on board as the media leader and to help communicate with the community how much this special place has to offer!
Zachary - Network Leader
We were fortunate enough to learn about the garden from one of our neighbors last spring and it has quickly become a little green oasis for our family! With two little ones, we feel so lucky to have access to a safe green space for our girls to run, explore and connect with the others. We are so grateful for the friends and community we've been able to make by sharing this space! I'm so excited to be on board as the media leader and to help communicate with the community how much this special place has to offer!
Dara - Treasurer
We moved to Philly as brand new parents in 2022. Almost immediately, we started going to the garden as a place to touch grass and meet neighbors. It's become a home away from home where we have met some of our closest friends, and where our son has space to explore freely and safely. I really think it makes our neighborhood special and I'm so honored to have the opportunity to do what I can to further its growth!
Our Mission
Our Mission
The Collins Smith Barrick Play Garden was started with the goal to be an open green space in the city for children and families to have safe access to nature. The space is intended to be a space for children to dig, to play with sticks and to look for insects under rocks.
By being offered opportunities to interact positively with nature and to participate in gardening, we hope to inspire the children who use the space to grow into children, teens and adults who learn to appreciate, protect and preserve this and other natural spaces in the city and beyond.
The garden is easily accessed from the street and therefore has potential to serve a wide range of people with disabilities.
Our History
The Collins Smith Barrick Play Garden began in 2001 as a vacant lot tended to by it's initial founder, special education teacher and new father, Julius Rivera, who intended to build an accessible green play space for neighborhood children. This vision was supported and realized with his wife, Melissa Rivera, a biopsychology researcher, whose commitment to the neighborhood children and families enabled her to win their support and respect for the space.
At the time of its founding, East Kensington had several vacant parcels that were greened by city wide initiatives. Unfortunately, some people misused these spaces by short dumping, leaving dog feces and drug paraphernalia in them making them unsafe for children, especially toddlers. The garden is intended to be a sacred space - a special space where children are welcomed and free to explore.
In spite of the countless changes to the neighborhood, the garden continues to serve as a valuable resource for children and families.
Why the name?
The Collins Smith Barrick Play Garden's title is in honor of Andrea Collins-Smith, a caring mother and life giving human. Andrea was a person who overcame countless personal obstacles and persistently worked to pursue her goals and interests. She took child rearing very seriously and often communicated the importance of helping children to be healthy adults. Andrea and her familiy worked closely with Jonathan Olshefski, a local film maker in order to capture some of her intimate moments and thoughts as she battled breast cancer. She maintained a blog called Punk Rock Mommy.
Like Andrea, George E. Barrick, was a person who felt a sense of urgency regarding preparing children for their future roles as adults while preserving the joy and magic of childhood. He founded of the AKWD preschool in Northern Liberties. George was a Reiki practioner, practicing buddist and an accomplished artist.
Both Andrea and George were taken from us by Cancer in June and July of 2008, respectively. The CSB Play Garden serves as a living memorial to two people who brought so much love and care to those in their lives.
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