The Community
at the Sparrow Underground
Welcome! I'm excited to share with you the Community at The Sparrow Underground which taps into the powerful idea that resilience can start right where you are - in your garden and your own backyard.
We live in constantly changing and tumultuous times. With weather extremes, anxiety and overwhelm about the future, and unpredictable seasons. It's a lot. And yet, I believe this moment in history is an opportunity for us to be sources of resilience and strength in our own neighborhoods, communities, and landscapes. I believe we can do this by awakening to our own restoration potential right where we are, starting in our own gardens and backyards (or windowsills!). I believe this is even more powerful if we can do it with the support of a community.
Hi! I'm Allison Houghton and I am a garden educator, mother, agroecologist, and soil nerd!
And I have an invitation for you:
What would it look like to focus on your own unique, incredible, and magnificent potential? Starting right where you are? What would it look like to have community support in doing that?
For me, that potential happens when growing plants. For two years, during the pandemic, I ran a neighborhood micro plant nursery called The Sparrow Underground Nursery in my backyard supplying hundreds of high-quality edible and native plants to neighbors and community members at a time when demand for plants skyrocketed. I myself found myself inspired by the simple but powerful idea that building resilience can start right where you are, even in one’s own backyard.
The very simple act of planting a seed is revolutionary. It is a vote for life. Plants are unbelievable powerhouses: generating oxygen, taking carbon out of the air, creating sugars (liquid carbon), and pumping them out through their roots to fuel a massive underground ecosystem that ultimately supports us all. We can learn from them and learn to create resilient landscapes, backyards, and communities.
Don't get me wrong, the problems today in our world are immense and not to be taken lightly. Yet by focusing less on all that is wrong and outside of our control, and instead tapping into the potential of what is possible around us, we can actually enlarge our own potential. Did you know that you can access 30% more of your brain power when happy, calm, relaxed, or at peace? Being afraid, overwhelmed, and daunted literally shuts down part of our capacity to problem solve!
That's why I started the community space within the Sparrow Underground: a place to support each other in bold dreaming and action. A place to share strategies and techniques for growing resilience gardens and backyards right where we are, while also being inspired by the examples of the many people around the globe who are already doing just that.
I envision a community of gardeners, foragers, naturalists and soil builders that support each other in kindness, mutual respect, curiosity and bold action to realize this untapped potential starting in our own backyards and gardens. I also want to creatively imagine a regenerative business model that fuels this work of regeneration! And, of course, have fun while doing it!
What's in the Community at The Sparrow Underground:
A member community of gardeners, naturalists, planters, and soil builders gathering best practices, connecting and troubleshooting challenges to grow resilient, biodiverse, and thriving landscapes
Monthly live office hours to gather as a community as well as several opportunities to schedule 1:1 consulting calls to talk through your specific situation!
Monthly webinars on topics you help choose each season. Topics range from building soils, season extension, meadow building, organic pest and disease control, growing edible mushrooms, water management on landscapes, maximizing the harvest, and other creative crop options for large and small spaces. I'll be surveying the community for what topics you want to hear more about!
A seasonal community-wide challenge and access to previous season challenges.
Access to a growing library of presentations and resources on building resilience right where you are.
Current Seasonal Challenge: Nature Art Challenge
Drawing or painting details of the natural world helps us become more attuned and observant naturalists.
Join me for 6 weeks for an informal drawing session where we will do an ART SERIES together! Pick a theme that interests you such as tree leaves, bugs, songbirds, weed, flowers, seedlings, etc... and practice drawing/painting a variation on the subject you choose each week. The first 15 minutes of each session might include a brief demo on a painting or drawing technique. Join me starting April 1st from noon-1pm to make time for your art, hone your drawing skills, and deepen your love of the natural world with thoughtful intention and focus.
Mondays from 12-1pm on April 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th and May 6th
Previous Courses available in the community:
Soil Building Challenge: Grow Resilience By Growing Soil. An 8-week course on step-by-step ways to evaluate the soil you have and how to identify leverage points to grow healthier, more resilient gardens by focusing on soil health. Also available separately as a course here.
Winter Greens Challenge: How Much Can You Grow? Learn 3 simple techniques for growing greens in winter (indoors and outdoors) as a way to support you in growing nutrient-dense salads all season long!
Organic Pest and Disease Management Challenge: Learn how to prevent and effectively deal with common garden pests and diseases organically. From simple management tips to organic pesticides (yes, there are organic pesticides...) we'll review options to safely and effectively deal with problems in a way that supports the ecology of your garden.
Winter Propagation Challenge: Ever wanted to propagate SUPER cool plants like hickory, wild berries, meadow flowers or pawpaws?! Some of these wild plants can be tricky to propagate, but once you know their secrets, you can successfully grow them in your own backyard EVEN if you don't a lot of space OR sun OR soil! All it takes is a little knowledge and a little patch of earth (or porch or driveway or rooftop...).
Community Pricing:
The Gardening with Allison community is split into four tiers: Yearly Basic, Seasonal, and Supporter. If you are interested in supporting or receiving a scholarship, connect with me at allison@thesparrowunderground.com with the subject line "Scholarship".
(~$26/month, less than a tank of gas!)
For those of you who just want to try out the Community for a single season! The pass includes events for that season, that season's challenge and access to pre-existing courses, challenges, and webinars.
Typically the seasons are Fall (Sept-Nov), Winter (Dec - Feb), Spring (Mar-May), and Summer (Jun-Aug). Join at the beginning of each season to join the Welcome Night which typically happens in the first month of each season where new and old members get to know one another, ask questions and introduce themselves!
(<$17/month, like Netflix, but for soil restoration!)
Want to join an AWESOME community of gardeners, foragers, soil builders, planters and naturalists for ALL FOUR SEASONS at a discount, this membership is for you.
What to Expect: Get access to the community resources, past courses, challenges and webinars on a variety of topics. Also, have the opportunity to share what you want topics you most want to here and guide the direction of topics! This community is made of amazing individuals, so please share your wisdom, too, and help make this community stronger!
Transformer
(In Development!)
I've been playing around with a next level of membership for individuals who want to go deeper in transforming their own landscape, garden or backyard. It's still in development, but if you are interested in crafting this alongside me, please email me at allison@thesparrowunderground.com.
Potential ideas include a structured series of pre-scheduled 1:1 consulting calls, strategic metrics for "measuring success or progress" towards your goals, and seasonal gifts to support your needs including nutrient-dense mineral amendments and fertilizers, seeds, seedling propagation tools, beneficial biological inoculants. It would depend on your interests and specific needs. I am excited to explore this option further with anyone who is interested!
AND if you try out the community for 30 days, and decide it just isn't a good fit, let me know, and I'll reimburse you!
I think of gardens as training grounds. You might only have a small garden, enclosed indoor space or backyard corner. Yet as you build the skills right where you are, you may start to see places in your community or neighborhood that could use your support in building carbon-rich soils, growing nutrient-dense food, holding more water and building habitat. There are opportunities all around us.
I hope you join us!
~Allison Houghton
A little bit about me:
I am a regenerative growing consultant, author, artist, mother, and educator on a variety of topics: soil health, ecological design, foraging, and climate resiliency! I started learning about soils, water, and our relationship to landscapes indirectly through a degree in Geology and Civil/Environmental Engineering at MIT. Some of my past work includes serving as the Education Director and Soil Health Advisor for the MA chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA/Mass), Assistant Grower and High Tunnel Supervisor for The Food Project farm in Lincoln, MA, and as the Director of Horticulture at Green City Growers building hundreds of gardens for growing food in the Greater Boston area. I'm also the author of the free NOFA/Mass publication The Carbon Sequestering Garden: Gardening for the Planet While Growing Some of the Best Food Possible as well as several other resources on growing food and supporting biodiversity creatively in small spaces.
I now live in Philadelphia, PA with my family, teaching, and working with an online gardening consulting community for gardeners, naturalists, foragers and soil builders to provide strategic resources for growing resilience right where we are - starting right in our own communities and backyards!
