Newswise — The Community Ecology Institute (CEI) is excited to announce the online publication of a new peer-reviewed article in Current Opinion in Psychology titled “Community Gardens and the Cultivation of Social Capital.” The article was authored by Dr. Chiara D’Amore, Executive Director of CEI, along with Loni Cohen, Justin Chen, and Paige Owen (all of CEI), and Dr. Calvin Ball, County Executive of Howard County, Maryland.
Synthesizing findings from 50 recent studies, the review article underscores how community gardens are far more than spaces for growing food—they are powerful hubs for building psychological resilience, fostering social connectedness, and strengthening civic engagement. Using social capital theory, the authors highlight the role of community gardens in cultivating bonding (relationships within groups), bridging (connections across diverse groups), and linking (relationships with institutions and resources) forms of social capital—key drivers of individual well-being and community resilience.
“At a time when our society faces escalating ecological, public health, and social crises, community gardens offer a hopeful and tangible path forward,” said Chiara D’Amore, Ph.D., Executive Director of CEI. “Our research shows that these shared green spaces nurture not just plants, but also the empathy, trust, and civic spirit needed to weave stronger, more resilient communities.”
“Howard County is a leader in environmental protection, and we are home to so many vital and unique programs that help us preserve our environment for current and future generations. This is possible because of our efforts to promote community gardens as spaces for healing and nurturing more than just our environment,” said Calvin Ball, Ed.D., Howard County Executive. “By linking people and nature together, we are fostering an environment that is bound by well-being and resilience.”
This article reflects CEI’s commitment to advancing knowledge and practice at the intersection of people, place, and planet. CEI’s work is rooted in the research of its founder, Dr. D’Amore, who has identified three formative life experiences that foster an environmental ethic: time spent in nature, environmental mentorship, and opportunities to make a positive local impact. These principles guide CEI’s programs at its two community farms—Freetown Farm and the Green Farmacy Garden—and through its Nourishing Gardens initiative, which creates community gardens in public spaces across Howard County, as well as CEI’s other programs and offerings.
The full article, “Community Gardens and the Cultivation of Social Capital,” is available online now at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2025.102149 and will be featured in the February 2026 issue of Current Opinion in Psychology.
About the Community Ecology Institute The Community Ecology Institute (CEI), based in Columbia, Maryland, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to cultivating communities where people and nature thrive together. CEI fosters connections between individuals, families, and the ecosystems they depend upon through education, research, and hands-on engagement in community farming and gardening. For more information about CEI, its Freetown Farm and Green Farmacy Garden locations, and all of CEI’s programs and events, or to support CEI’s work, please visit https://www.communityecologyinstitute.org/.
Note to editors: Attached PDF includes additional comments from Dr. D’Amore plus 3 Top Tips for making a community garden a reality.
# # #
Comments are closed.