NORWAY — Local gardeners marked Earth Day on Sunday by preparing the Alan Day Community Garden for the season.

The garden at 26 Whitman St. was developed in 2009 by the late Alan Day’s twin teenage daughters, Emma and Ruby DayBranch, and their mother, Katey Branch. Day, a community activist who left the abandoned wet field on Whitman Street to his daughters, had envisioned a community garden on the site.

“We had a beautiful gathering at the community garden for Earth Day,” Katey said. “More than 30 people helped prepare the garden for a new year.”

The mission of the nonprofit garden is to “cooperatively create an educational demonstration garden using organic, sustainable methods to support an enduring community food system,” according to the garden’s website. The garden provides families a space to grow their own food and supplies food to the local food pantries, community dinners and other needy organizations.

In previous years, the community has gathered on Earth Day at the Fare Share Market for food, song and dance, but this year organizers decided to celebrate at the garden as part of the day’s activities to recognize the national day of service to the country’s natural environment. Earth Day has been a worldwide event since 1970.

Branch said Barbara Murphy of the Oxford County Extension gave a free gardening workshop and Rusty Wiltjer kept a lively beat on his drums while the gardeners worked. Caribbean Catering sold food and the group shared wishes for the garden and the Earth.

More information about the garden is available at http://alandaygarden.wordpress.com/.

ldixon@sunjournal.com