A beautiful tribute and a vibrant new beginning at the South Shore YMCA Nature Center in Norwell!
The newly restored José Carreiro Children’s Garden honors the legacy of José Carreiro — a passionate gardener and advocate for outdoor education — and the vision of his wife, Liz Carreiro, who helped bring this dream to life.
Liz, a longtime supporter and volunteer, worked closely with her family and the YMCA to redesign the garden, creating a space where children can explore themed garden beds, nature trails, and hands-on learning in a fully accessible, magical environment. 💚
The unveiling of the reimagined South Shore YMCA Nature Center and gardens was recently featured in the Patriot Ledger. Thanks to writer Sue Scheible for bringing our story to life for their readers.
Read these stories in the Patriot Ledger:
A Labor of Love: Tending children’s garden in memory of late husband
Most mornings, by 8 a.m. a silver-haired woman wearing pearl earrings and casual clothes is hard at work in the renovated José Carreiro Children’s Garden at the South Shore YMCA Nature Center.
All is quiet except for the crowing of a rooster in the chicken coop.
Liz Carreiro pulls a long hose with her as she waters the plants in a half-dozen raised flower and vegetable beds. She dead-heads the flowers, pulls out weeds, checks what is growing well and what might be in trouble. When the children at the preschool next to the garden begin coming out, she continues working.
“This is just what Joe envisioned,” she says.
South Shore YMCA unveils renewed Nature Center with preschool, children’s garden & more
The ahead-of-its-time South Shore YMCA Nature Center has been “reimagined” and is introducing itself again to the community with an updated campus and focus on what families want for their children.
Head down the driveway at 48 Jacobs Lane, near Jacobs Pond after the Cross Street Farm, and you will find: a new state-of-the-art preschool, its rooms filled with daylight and colorful art work, with both indoor and outdoor classroom, a spacious, re-designed children’s garden with walking paths that invite curious minds and muddy feet to dig right in, nature adventure camps focused on the environment…and more