Written by Hsin Lee and Liqi Shao
Translated by H.B. Qin
Edited by Ida Eva Zielinska
On March 28, 2026, amid the vibrant energy of spring, Tzu Chi USA’s Green City Ecological Gardening Market, held at its Education Campus in Walnut, California, brought together plant-focused groups, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and community members for a lively event centered on environmental protection, education, and humanistic values. Through a variety of booths and interactive experiences, the market highlighted how sustainable living can take root in an urban community.
Green Energy That Brings Peace of Mind
Debbie Lee, CEO of Tzu Chi USA, attended the event and expressed her appreciation for its continued growth. “Tzu Chi is very fortunate to have held this eco gardening market twice a year for many consecutive years at our Walnut campus, and today it is better than ever. Hearing the positive feedback from so many attendees fills us with energy,” she said.
For Lee, the event carried added significance that day. “Many people across Southern California are taking part in No Kings protests today, and we hope to offer the community a different kind of energy, one that brings peace and steadiness. Through this event, we hope to bring together kindness toward the earth, care for the environment, and compassion for people, and to use that energy to purify hearts and help bring harmony to society.”
Lee highlighted the participation of many nonprofit organizations, saying their involvement reflected a shared commitment to the common good. She noted that the presence of Bliss & Wisdom Foundation of America made the event especially meaningful, as the two organizations are closely aligned in their values around environmental protection, vegetarianism, and education. Working together to make the market possible, she said, was a true honor.
Lee also expressed her hope that the efforts of volunteers and the goodwill of community supporters could be brought together in continued support of Tzu Chi, not only to help ensure the success of each market, but also to offer blessings as the organization approaches its 60th anniversary. At a blessing station, attendees wrote messages for Tzu Chi. Some wished the organization boundless love, some echoed the founding spirit of Tzu Chi’s bamboo banks, and others expressed hope that Tzu Chi would continue spreading positive energy in society.
More than just a market, the event served as a gathering place for goodwill and its continued sharing. Thanks to the joint efforts of everyone involved, it was a great success and laid a stronger foundation for the ongoing promotion of environmental protection and humanistic values.
Community Well-Being and the Ripple Effect of Kindness
Stephen Huang, Tzu Chi’s Executive Director of Global Volunteers, who had returned to Los Angeles from Taiwan a couple of days earlier, came to support the event. He noted that the market brought together social welfare organizations, disaster relief groups, and environmentally minded growers, creating a rich and diverse platform for connection and engagement. “This is exactly the direction that Master Cheng Yen has always hoped for, to go into the community and be among the people,” he said.
The Walnut Education Campus is not only a school, Huang said, but also a place where the community can gather and learn. He recalled speaking with a local resident who told him the property had once been slated for housing development, but was preserved after neighborhood opposition. Now that it has become a Tzu Chi school, the resident was very happy.
The resident also noted that, beyond its educational role, the campus serves the wider community. In addition to after-school tutoring and adult classes, it includes Jing Si Books & Cafe, a space where people can read, gather, and enjoy the atmosphere of books, coffee, and tea.
Huang said the campus is what Master Cheng Yen often describes as a place of wisdom and blessings. “I am very happy to be here today. Seeing CEO Debbie Lee and so many volunteers serving the public, and seeing how happy everyone is, brings me great joy,” he said. “It is especially heartening to see children planting by hand and residents adopting corners of the campus to create butterfly-friendly spaces, offering a beautiful picture of people living in harmony with nature. Here, people can truly feel a sense of harmony between heaven and earth. I am deeply grateful.”
Broadening his view beyond the market itself, Huang reflected on Tzu Chi’s growth in the United States through the wholehearted dedication of volunteers and the broader team, as well as deep local engagement and community connection. “Tzu Chi has been able to take root and grow in the United States, spreading the spirit of Great Love across the country,” he said.
Life Education and Environmental Stewardship
As visitors entered the Green City Ecological Gardening Market, they were greeted by a steady flow of eco-themed booths. From plant displays and environmentally friendly products to secondhand item exchange stations, every corner reflected an appreciation for the land and the mindful habits that can be cultivated in daily life. Many parents attended with their children, and through observing plants and touching leaves by hand, environmental education unfolded naturally within the experience.
In the education area, booths from the preschool, elementary school, and after-school program at Tzu Chi USA’s Walnut Education Campus introduced environmental protection courses and summer camp activities in lively and engaging ways, underscoring the importance of nurturing these values from an early age. Teachers at the booths shared that through hands-on activities and direct experience, children not only come to understand environmental concepts but also gradually develop good habits in their daily lives.
The market also featured a Jing Si booth that introduced Tzu Chi’s humanistic philosophy of “desiring little and being content,” encouraging visitors to reflect on the relationship between daily consumption and resource use. Meanwhile, a “Treasure House” station used practical examples to show how materials can be reused and recirculated, reminding the public to cherish resources and reduce waste.
Learning to Respect Life Through Compassionate Care
One of the highlights of the market was the “Happy Baa Baa Land” interactive experience presented by Bliss & Wisdom Foundation of America, offering visitors another opportunity to engage in life education. Kueiyang Hung, the head of Happy Baa Baa Land, explained that sheep are valuable in many ways. Their wool and manure can serve as natural fertilizer and insulation, and they also act as natural weeders.
“At the end of 2021, we rescued a group of sheep that were originally facing slaughter. There were more than 90 of them. It was only after we started raising them that we discovered these sheep make a significant contribution to the natural environment,” she recounted.
Hung also reflected on the healing effect of spending time with them. “Beyond their practical value, sheep are gentle, affectionate, and can be as sensitive as dogs. Interacting with them can help people feel relaxed and healed, and they provide wonderful emotional companionship. When you come into contact with them, your mood can be greatly uplifted,” she said. “Their presence reminds us to cherish life and also shows us the possibility of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature.”
As adults and children fed and interacted with the animals, they learned to respect life and naturally cultivated empathy. Filled with joyful laughter, this section of the market was especially heartwarming to behold.
Bamboo Banks Gather Goodness
As the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation marks its 60th anniversary in 2026, a special Bamboo Bank Wall was set up at the market, symbolizing the accumulation of kind intentions and Tzu Chi’s journey over the years. It drew many visitors to stop and take part. As people placed their donations into the bamboo banks, the act became more than a simple gesture. It offered a quiet moment to reflect on how Tzu Chi, beginning from its original aspiration, has spread goodness around the world over the past six decades, with countless volunteers sowing seeds of hope and care through contributions made little by little.
By writing blessing cards, visitors gave shape to their wishes and kind intentions, with each word carrying hopes for society, for others, and for the future. These seemingly small expressions of goodwill embodied Tzu Chi’s founding bamboo bank spirit. Accumulated over time, they came together as a force that encouraged kindness and kept it flowing through the community.
Putting Green Living Into Practice
Through the Green City Ecological Gardening Market, the organizers hoped to make green living more than just a slogan, turning it into an everyday choice that people could practice and experience for themselves. Beginning with individual action and linking community resources, the market aimed to help green living take root in daily life.
Many participants shared that the market not only gave them practical ideas for environmentally conscious living, but also prompted them to reexamine and adjust their own habits, putting greater care for the environment into everyday practice.
“Today I came here and bought a lot of seedlings, like cucumbers, white jade bitter melon, and apple bitter melon,” Gloria Chu shared with great joy. “I’ll plant them when I get home and watch them grow. It’s very relaxing and enjoyable. A good mood also improves quality of life.” She also selected wood ash for her fruit trees, hoping to improve the sweetness of the harvest.
Ariel Tan was attending the market for the first time. “It’s rare to have an event like this, with both plants and small animals for children to interact with. For children, it’s a rare opportunity to connect with nature,” she said.
Terry Steagall, a student at the Taiwan Center for Mandarin Learning, also shared impressions of her visit to the market, which included a stop at the Life Science Farm on the Walnut Education Campus. “It’s really beautiful here. There are many different kinds of fruits and vegetables, and some of them are not commonly found elsewhere. But what impressed me most was everyone’s emphasis on environmental sustainability.” She also mentioned seeing Monarch butterflies and various pollinating insects, which gave her a strong sense of the area’s ecological vitality.
Steagall was equally impressed by the succulents introduced at the booths, noting that they were easy to grow and well suited to take home. “This really inspires me. We can bring these back to our own gardens,” she said.
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Michael Lee came all the way from Long Beach, California, and found the visit rewarding. “The teacher shared organic growing methods that do not use chemical fertilizers and are better for the environment,” he said, adding that the knowledge could be applied right away in daily life. “Even though it was a bit of a drive, coming here was worth it.”
Another visitor, Isaac Pleitez of Royal Business Bank, said the bank’s mission aligns with Tzu Chi’s community service goals. From the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program to food pantry efforts, he said, the two organizations have worked closely together.
A Platform for Cultivating Green Living
Held each spring and fall at the Walnut Education Campus by the Tzu Chi Education Foundation, the Green City Ecological Gardening Market has gradually grown into one of Southern California’s largest and most distinctive green gardening markets. Its impact extends beyond the day of the event itself, encouraging nearby residents to take part in greener habits, from planting a single seedling to reducing everyday waste, and gradually helping shape a more environmentally conscious culture in the community.
More than just a place to exchange green knowledge and explore sustainable practices, Tzu Chi USA’s Green City Ecological Gardening Market has become a platform for cultivating green living. It connects people through shared responsibility and action, turning environmental protection from an idea into something tangible that can extend from individuals to families and into the wider community.
Discover more stories about how Tzu Chi USA is bringing compassion, environmental awareness, and support to individuals and communities nationwide.
