​Tanya Melendez has a deep love of the natural beauty contained within the city of Reading. Whether she is enjoying bike rides on local trails, walks to local parks, or watching her daughter climb trees, she has a true appreciation for the joy that nature brings to communities.

Through her volunteer work with the 18th Ward of Reading, she is eager to bring nature to residents in a new and exciting way: A community garden, called “Cultivating Community at Oakbrook”