The community garden experience < our experience

DUNGOG GOES FOR HOLISTIC TRAINING

Faith Thomas reports...

The Dungog Community Garden is on its way to becoming a centre for holistic environmental education and training.

Our popular weekend courses have attracted participants from as far away as Sydney, Taree and Newcastle. Many local people also seem keen to develop skills in sustainable property management and organic farming.

Courses attract far-flung participants

Sixty people have taken part in courses which ran over the June and October long weekends. Twenty missed attending the October course, already full in July thanks to word-of-mouth reports by June course participants.

In 2003, the garden hosted twenty, two-hour workshops for local primary and high school students with a further ten workshops still to run.

The kids participated in a range of activities including planting bird-attracting natives, exploring the ponds and habitat areas, making worm farms, no-dig gardening and designing better schools and gardens. All workshops were designed to instil in the kids a greater respect and love for their environment, while at the same time making them fun and creative by employing experienced, innovative teachers.

The community garden’s educational activities will continue under the banner of Skills for Sustainable Living.

A range of workshops, courses and presentations will be offered as well as the Permaculture Design Course of 72 hours duration.

A quarterly newsletter has been developed to notify interested people of upcoming activities. Please contact Faith Thomas on 4992 1133 if you would like to be added to our mailing list.

Update: Faith Thomas is now a local government water educator with Marrickville Council in Sydney.

The status of the Dungog Community Garden is unknown as of 2007.

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PAGE UPDATED... Thursday, 7 June 2007