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A community that gets involved

A community that gets involved

A community that gets involved It’s phenomenal and a bit touching seeing the community rally around a communal green space with such passion, interest, curiosity, and appetite for gardening. Connecting the community: this was May’s theme. It’s a theme we are broadening beyond gardening this month by inviting the wider community to participate. We want your input on which event you’d like to see from the Southbank Sustainability Group (SSG) next and ideas that will contribute to the garden’s look and feel. With the community garden in its infant stages, a makeshift pop-up plant nursery in the back orchard and the first round of harvesting all happening simultaneously, gardening has been the focus of our volunteers, old and new, this past month. We saw new community members, novice and experienced in gardening, excitedly join our meet-ups to tend to Southbank’s new veggie and herb garden. It’s wonderful to see so many neighbours from diverse and different backgrounds connect through the joy of gardening. With many veggies either ready or near-ready for harvesting, it’s hard to believe that we’re already starting the second planting cycle just eight weeks since the first cycle. In our last two meet-ups alone we’ve harvested approximately 3kg of veggies and leafy greens! Swiss chard, spinach, beetroot, lettuce, and bok choy will be harvested next. Not all veggies are harvest-ready and not all veggies are harvested in the same way. If you have your eye on a veg or leafy green, or want to know what’s harvest-ready, email us for harvesting instructions. This is a garden open to the community and we do want the community to help itself to the garden’s organic goodies. However, we need to make sure they are harvested sustainably in a way that maintains the plant’s longevity. Calling for community input Group volunteers are coupling up to creatively source sustainable labeling and signage, in collaboration with the Men’s Shed. We’re also preparing a kids’ creativity day to help with a colourful harvesting signage system. We also want to hear from all of you on ideas for sustainable labelling, signage, and mini-notice boards to inform what’s planted in each garden bed, what’s ready for harvesting, and other general info, while adding some colour and flavour to the garden beds. The only requirements are that: a) the idea uses 100 per cent sustainably sourced materials (think circular lifecycle, upcycled materials, zero waste endlife); and b) it can be placed or stand alone in the soil. Email us your ideas, using the subject: “Labelling idea”. Entries close on 22 June. Another sustainability education day is also coming soon. The top three topics of interest are zero waste lifestyle basics, mindful consumerism or balcony gardening basics. We want to hear from you on which of these three topics you prefer to catch. Email to let us know, using the subject: “Education Day topic”. Entries close on 24 June. If you’re interested in getting involved with SSG, you can message us or come join us at an upcoming meet-up. Upcoming meet-ups are Saturday June 22 and July 6, 10am at the Boyd foyer or community garden sitting area. About the group: A solutions-focused community group of Southbank residents working to bring positive change in sustainability practices and education to our neighborhood, while building a wonderful community of like-minded people. Reach us at [email protected] or facebook.com/SouthbankSustainabilityGroup  

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