Rising Star: Marlana Moore, Neighborhood Gardens Trust

Making an Impact through Intent

Marlana Moore has worked at NGT for 5 years and enjoys working with community gardeners and garden leaders. Philadelphia has hundreds of community gardens that have transformed vacant lands into thriving gardens, most without any land security. Marlana’s role at NGT is to work to acquire community garden land as permanent open space and support NGT’s preserved community gardens. Because community gardens span multiple lots with different owners, each garden has its own puzzle to solve. Marlana negotiates with developers to acquire the land at market rate and works through complex city processes.   

Marlana’s innovative work securing land for community green spaces brings so many benefits. Neighborhood gardens have been demonstrated to reduce crime, improve mental and physical health, mitigate air and water pollution, cool dangerous high heat summer temperatures, and increase access to healthy affordable food.

“It is a critical time for this work, at an unprecedented moment in climate change and redevelopment within the city.” Vacant lands are being lost daily and gardens are at risk. Marlana is glad to be part of NGT’s mission of the history and legacy of revitalization of neighborhood gardens. 

Each community garden protection project involves different landowners, tax liens etc. Marlana is always learning and uses her savvy to identify strategies for securing each threatened parcel. With diligence and dedication, Marlana plays a key role to drive expansion of the network of preserved community gardens in Philadelphia and to increase support for their stewardship.

PACDC congratulates Marlana Moore on being recognized as one of PACDC’s 2023 Rising Stars!