andrewturner's Flickr photostream/Creative Commons

Urban gardening is one of our favorite topics here on TakePart, but we haven’t yet explored urban forests like the amazing Tenderloin National Forest (TNF) in San Francisco.  What was once an alleyway where trash piles and drug abuse were common, has since been transformed by people from the Tenderloin neighborhood into a thriving green community space where the public can enjoy art exhibitions, performances, classes, as well as edible and non-edible gardens.

While this forest may not exactly resemble the large swaths of Redwood trees outside of the city, this small-scale forest is no less valuable for offering a home for oxygen providing plants and a place for quiet contemplation and human interaction.  I would love to see more green spaces like the TNF appear in cities and towns across the country; our neighborhoods would be healthier and more culturally rich.

Watch a great video below about the Tenderloin National Forest and check out the Act section to learn how you can help start a community garden in your neighborhood.