Engineers Without Borders builds garden for veterans

The University of Arizona Engineers Without Borders club, one of 50 engineering student organizations, encourages students to apply their skills to real-world challenges and create sustainable solutions for communities locally and abroad.

Club secretary Benjamin McCarthy said the club started working on two projects this fall: a community garden at Esperanza en Escalante, a veterans' housing community, and a land restoration initiative on the San Carlos Apache Reservation.

“Communities come to us with projects they want implemented, and we help them plan every step of the way,” said McCarthy, a junior majoring in environmental engineering. “It's quite similar to what an engineering consulting firm does.”

Esperanza en Escalante provides supportive housing for homeless veterans, helping them stabilize and transition into permanent housing. As featured in a recent KGUN9 story, the club provides community garden design services free of charge. The garden will offer residents a therapeutic space while supplementing fresh produce in the Esperanza food pantries.

The club also partnered with the Nalwoodi Denzhone: Strength and Beauty Community organization to benefit people on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona. Their goal is to transform 93 acres of tribal land into the Nnee Nalwoodi Life Center – a youth diversion center that teaches employment skills.

Engineers Without Borders has completed site assessments, soil and water testing, irrigation designs, a restoration plan for an existing agricultural well, cost assessments and feasibility analyses.

“Our job is to help them and their missions,” said McCarthy, who worked on the community garden project. “I wanted to help with this project because it connects me with volunteer opportunities in my community, but also connects me with mentors and professionals who are seeking engineers for future jobs.”