NORWAY – When Alan Day died on Feb. 6, 2008, he left to his daughters, Emma and Ruby, a 3-acre parcel behind his house on Maple Street.

Day envisioned the land becoming a community garden, and his daughters support that goal. Today, they and their mother, Katey Branch, are part of an effort to turn his vision into the Alan Day Community Garden.

A committee has met several times and has planned the first workshop/work day from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 16. Participants will meet at the Fare Share Commons.

Scott Vlaun of the Moose Pond Permaculture Collective will present the first in a series of short workshops about permaculture, a method of design based on ecology and community. During the last three decades, it has become a global movement for bioremediation and sustainable development.

Following the presentation, the group will move to the land itself. Projects will include mapping, cataloging species and creating raised bed gardens.

“Our first goal is to get to the know the land, to study the life of the soil, vegetation, water and habitat. These observations will feed plans that may take 10 to 20 years to fully implement. We’ll also be assessing the condition of the barn with an eye on renovating it for project use, such as workshop or greenhouse space,” said Ken Morse, director of Healthy Oxford Hills.

The project involves collaboration of many individuals and organizations, led by Healthy Oxford Hills, including Moose Pond Arts + Ecology, the Progress Center, Western Foothills Land Trust, students from Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, Ganderia Middle School and Fare Share Coop. The Oxford County Ag Group and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension are advisers.

The first work day is open to anyone who is interested in helping. It will be followed by lunch, either on the land or at the commons, depending on the weather.

For more information, contact Ken Morse, Healthy Oxford Hills, at 739-6222 or [email protected].