Savannah Maddux raises rabbits with her Enumclaw 4-H club. She also belongs to a 4-H environmental group. As a member of both, she learned to compost and was sure she could put all her rabbits’ “doo” to good use.

The Sunrise Elementary School fourth-grade student has parlayed her plan into a $250 Washington Foundation for the Environment Stewardship Grant to be used to buy seeds, plant starts and to otherwise defray costs for pea patch plots for low-income and elderly people in Enumclaw.

“We are very impressed with your efforts to get pea patch land donated, to provide compost for the gardens, and to help in the effort to raise food for needy citizens,” WFFE board representative Wick Dufford wrote.

Maddux said she is working with the city and Cynthia DuVal to get the most bang for her buck.

DuVal, who is managing the city’s community garden space behind the library, said in addition to the number of plots leased by Plateau residents, the city has set aside

about 2,000 square feet a true community garden where vegetables and fruit can be raised for local food banks and families in need.

The city rototills the land at the beginning and end of each season and provides water. It also has a short list of rules for participants.

DuVal is organizing a volunteer work party for noon Sunday. In addition to preparing and planting the garden space, DuVal will offer lessons on growing.

“It really has become a community project,” DuVal said.

For information, call DuVal at 503-740-1863 or e-mail cynthiaduval1@gmail.com.