Bernadette Cozart facts for kids

Bernadette Cozart (born May 17, 1949 – died July 27, 2009) was an American expert in gardening and botany. She was also a strong supporter of urban gardening, which means growing plants in cities. She even worked for the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

Making Cities Greener: Bernadette Cozart's Work

In 1989, Bernadette Cozart started an organization called the Greening of Harlem Coalition. Her goal was to help people in Harlem and other parts of New York City make their neighborhoods better. She wanted to turn empty, run-down lots into beautiful flower gardens. She also worked to fix up existing green spaces.

Cozart worked with many local groups to make these community gardens happen. One important partner was Barbara Barlow, a surgeon who helped create positive green spaces in the community. Cozart focused a lot on building gardens at New York City schools.

School Gardens and Community Pride

Gardens were built at several public schools thanks to Cozart and her group. For example, they designed a playground with garden boxes at P.S. 197. They also created a Japanese-style garden with a pagoda at P.S. 134.

Cozart explained why school gardens were so important in 1993. She said, "Instead of taking children on field trips to see farms and gardens, why not bring nature into the community?" She believed it was unfair for kids to have to leave their neighborhood to see things grow.

Cozart felt her work was about making positive changes. She said that community green spaces create a "domino effect." This means that when a community gets a garden, people feel more proud of their area. Then, they start to make other improvements too. Cozart stated, "If you can take a garbage-strewn lot... and turn it into a thing of beauty... then you know you can transform other things." She believed this feeling of transformation gave people power.

Beautifying Allentown

In 2002, Cozart moved from Harlem to Allentown, Pennsylvania. There, she became the president of the Allentown Garden Club. Under her leadership, the club started the Allentown Beautification Program in 2006. This program aimed to make street intersections in Allentown look better. They used native plants and flowers.

The Allentown program was based on her earlier work with the Greening of Harlem Coalition. Cozart and the Allentown Garden Club received support from Allentown mayor Ed Pawlowski. They also relied on donations from local businesses and community organizations to fund the program.

Bernadette Cozart's Passing

Bernadette Cozart passed away on July 27, 2009, at the age of 60. She had a heart attack while taking a water aerobics class in Allentown. She was taken to St. Luke's Hospital-Allentown, but she died on the way.

Allentown Mayor Pawlowski spoke about Cozart's death. He said her passing was a great loss for the city and the community. He noted that "She helped in greening Allentown and making it a better place to live." He added that she would be greatly missed.