DEAD OCTOPUS, MCTRASH, AND A MYSTERY BANDIT: WHAT’S REALLY GROWING IN BARRY’S URBAN GARDEN?

By Samya Rosario

It’s not every day you plant basil and find a dead octopus instead. But that’s exactly what Barry’s Urban Garden (BUG) volunteers stumbled across this semester, along with McDonald’s bags and other mystery trash, courtesy of a so-called “garbage bandit.” With trash bins scattered across Barry’s campus, you would think a trash problem like this would be minimal. Unfortunately, with the garden short on staff, preventing these incidents is a challenge.

Photo Credit to Maison Bracey

The BUG, located next to Powers Hall, is run by the campus ministry and is currently being managed by Care Organization Coordinator Kativon Makary.

“The BUG is an important resource because it is a learning lab for students where they can connect with nature and learn how to grow organic produce through the principles of permaculture,” she said. “There is power in not needing to depend on for profit industries to access and grow food for the local community.”

Photo Credit to Maison Bracey

The BUG isn’t just a garden; it’s a resource where you can grab freshly grown bananas and green parsley you cultivated yourself. It’s a place where you can hear the wind chimes and see the butterflies munching on the milkweed. Unlike the rest of Barry campus, the BUG isn’t maintained by landscapers. Every plant is kept alive by the student volunteers and faculty, who must routinely water and tend to the crops.

For many students, the BUG is more than soil and plants. While many volunteer for scholarship opportunities, others just want to unwind between classes. BUG puts great value on team cooperation, causing students to find lifelong friends through their time working together.

Makary said protecting shared spaces like the BUG matters to the Barry community.

“A lot of work has been put into the BUG so it can be a space where students can learn more about sustainability,” she said. “It has gone through many phases under different leadership, but we hope that students can take more ownership of the mission and values to make space for growth spiritually and agriculturally.”

Lately, though, the “garbage bandit” has cast a shadow over the garden’s vibe. The litter can hurt or outright kill the plants. Some of these plants can take months or even a whole year to grow, and enough dead octopuses or McDonald's cups could have a negative effect on their progress.

Photo Credit to Maison Bracey

“We are working more closely with faculty to pick up trash we leave,” Makary said. “We are trying to recruit more student workers and volunteers to help maintain the BUG and get a weekly team out there.”

You can get involved in the BUG by emailing kmakary@barry.edu. Whether it's to offer seeds or 30 minutes of your time, volunteer hours are offered, and the garden will thank you. Despite the setbacks, BUG volunteers remain optimistic that raising awareness will not only stop the garbage bandit, but remind Barry students why spaces like the BUG matter. After all, protecting shared green spaces is as important as watering the plants.

So, while the tomatoes keep ripening and the herbs keep growing, the question remains: will the garbage bandit strike again?