Because of my unique family history, my visits to Border Field State Park (also known as Friendship Park) began before I can even remember them. I first become a willing volunteer at the park when I was 12 years old. There is a very special garden in Friendship Park, one to which pubic access is strictly prohibited, but only on the U.S. side of the border.
The Binational Garden is made up of multiple rings of stones, and within each circle plants that are native to that part of San Diego are cared for and grow freely. The stone circles extend across the international border, and are cut in half by the thirteen foot tall iron pillars that extend for miles up mountains to the east of San Diego, and stretch down out to the end of the park when the last rusty pillar sits in the middle of the breaking waves and foam of the Pacific Ocean. This beautiful garden supports the native plants of these lands, and by its very existence proves that friendships and other good things can grow in this problematic space, despite being divided by a massive wall.
As of December of 2017, the Border Patrol no longer has allowed us to work in the Binational Garden without first securing special permission ahead of time. This has resulted in fewer visits, but we hope that someday soon we will once again be able to attend to the garden.
