Over the past few months, a group of dedicated Citrus College students, faculty and staff teamed up to build a new community garden near the Owl Café and Physical Science Building.

Made possible by a Citrus College Foundation grant, the garden features contributions from students and faculty members Peter Cross and Bobby Goodman, as well as Grounds Supervisor Jorge Cortez and the grounds team.

In its current state, the garden is home to native coastal sage and other chaparral plants, which are adapted to the region’s Mediterranean climate of hot, dry summers and cool, mild winters. The garden also contains several papaya plants.

Cross, a biology instructor, said the garden will be of great benefit to his students, who will use the plants in the classroom and their National Science Foundation research project.

Goodman, a wildland resources and forestry instructor, said he was inspired to plant papayas after seeing them while leading study abroad experiences in Costa Rica. The whole idea of planting the fruit, he said, is to share it with students and faculty.