Jungle Hill is still a work in progress. The neighbors of Jungle Hill continue to work together to maintain and improve the area. Since the exhibit, This is Our Land! at the Oakland Museum of California, action and improvement on Jungle Hill have continued.

Twenty-one trees have been planted, including a row of jacaranda trees along Santa Rita Street. Americorps donated and planted the trees in late November.

Through the help of Americorps and East Bay Urban Gardners an irrigation system has been set-up. A community garden is becomming more of a reality, with hose hookups in three places in the garden site.

The Jungle Hill residents have used their experiences to educate and help others. Recently, a neighborhood teen, Ukisha Martin, and Kris Wagner were invited to speak at a forum about teen empowerment sponsored by Sheila Jordan.

On Janurary 11, 1997, the neighborhood joined in to do more planting, do some mulching, and add some steps.

Students from Merritt College Community Gardening class joined Jungle Hill neighbors as did five leaders and 15 to 20 boys and girls from chapters 18 and 24 of SIMBA. SIMBA is a mentoring program that does rites-of-passage work with African American children.

The next workday was February 15, 10a.m. to 1p.m. A no-till method of soil preparation called sheet mulching was taught, to help with future garden beds.

Work to improve Jungle Hill is an ongoing process and continues as we speak.... Workdays are planned for one Saturday morning each month. The City of Oakland, Office of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs is also holding gardening workshops for the public at Jungle Hill during the Spring of 1997. Call East Bay Urban Gardeners (EBUG) at 510/834-5342 for exact dates and times.

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Whats' so Great About Open Space/ The History of JH/ The Dreaded Wall/ There's Power in Numbers/ Teens Make a Difference/ Problems/What would you do with One Acre of Open Space/ Interns of JH/A Work In Progress.../JH Update/ Visitor Comments/ Credits

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