Blog  November 14, 2011

Growing Opportunities

Toronto youth tend to garden beds as part of the 2011 HSBC–Evergreen Youth Action Series. (Photo: Tonya Facey)

As part of the 2011 HSBC–Evergreen Youth Action Series, Evergreen recently hosted a group of youth from Toronto’s underserved neighbourhoods, who learned how they can make a difference by greening their own communtities.

The students started their day by fueling up on healthy treats and playing a few icebreaker games to get to know each other better, and to interact with the volunteers and staff.

(Photo: Tonya Facey)

Once the group was fired up, it was time to discuss community greening. At first, the students weren’t sure what community greening meant. But they soon learned they were already actively greening their communites in their daily lives. Some belonged to an environmental club at school, others used their bikes as a mode of transportation, while others put their green thumbs to work by participating in community gardens or gardening on their balconies.

Youth learn how to bring nature indoors with gardening tubes. (Photo: Tonya Facey)

After some more discussion and a healthy lunch, the students moved outside to Chimney Court to help put the gardens to bed for the winter. They pulled out plants, transplanted perennials to pots for replanting next year and spread mulch to insulate the soil. The students also got a hands-on lesson in composting by preparing fruit, vegetable and plant scraps for the bin, turning and sifting the compost piles, and applying the soil to the gardens.

(Photo: Tonya Facey)

Once they were finished with the gardens, the group gathered at Bike Works to learn about EBW’s cycling program, as well as a few tips on how to safely bike around the city.

The day ended with everyone gathering around the fire to relax, reflect and enjoy a few campfire treats!