The Backyard Gardeners Network is a Lower 9th Ward based nonprofit organization whose mission is community building, neighborhood revitalization and cultural preservation through urban gardening. We strive to sustain and strengthen the proudly self-sufficient and deeply rooted community of the Lower 9th Ward. Using our own food growing traditions and tapping our fiercely self-reliant spirit, we will revitalize our devastated neighborhood and preserve our cultural heritage. We currently manage two community gardens in the Lower 9th Ward, the Laurentine Ernst Community Garden and the Guerrilla Garden, and are spearheading the development of the Ernst Garden Resource Center.