By Jeanne McRight
Can't believe it will be September soon. It's hard to say goodbye to summer, but we're looking forward to fall activities.
We have an especially interesting BB project planned for mid - late September, and we are getting organized now before we launch into it. For all Mississauga residents who might like getting involved - it’s a short and sweet “plants and people” hands-on garden project at Spruce Park, located in south Mississauga at 280 Angeline Street in east MIneola. The project is funded by TD Park People.
Then...
A little background: we did a similar project on the same site in 2019, the year BB started. It was a small projects community grant then, that involved building a pollinator garden in the park together with 100 or so community volunteers. This was a really happy, rewarding project, held in the park and in the Port Credit library over 4 weekends in late fall - and an amazing response from the community.
Check out the YouTube video of the 2019 project!
We’ve maintained the garden over the past 4 years and it’s received quite a bit of media attention - it was even featured in Lorraine Johnson and Sheila Colla's book A Garden For the Rusty Patch Bumble Bee.
...and now
Now we plan to expand the Spruce Park garden, and were awarded a #TDParkPeople grant to fund expenses. This is our new plan - to add FIVE MORE SECTIONS to the existing garden!
PROJECT OVERVIEW
We will build 5 new hexagonal raised beds that will attach to the existing beds, fill them with soil, and plant them over the course of 3 Saturdays in Sept (Sept. 16, 23, & 30, from 9 - 2 each day). This time there won’t be an indoor crafts program at the library, but to complement the hands-on outdoor garden-making activities, we will set up an educational tent for engaging passersby.
We are constructing the wooden raised beds beforehand, but volunteers will be doing the final assembly on site, filling the beds with soil, and installing the plants.
***We need***
garden-making volunteers and
booth outreach and refreshments volunteers
The actual hands-on, in-the-park dates and job descriptions are roughly as follows.
1. Sat. Sept. 16, 9 am - 2 pm - Goal: Assemble the raised beds + public engagement via display table/educational outreach
Volunteer jobs:
a) assist in constructing the wooden raised beds; b) sand the rough spots & edges; c) interact with the public at the display booth; d) conduct mini-workshop(s) at the display booth
2. Sat. Sept. 23, 9 am - 2 pm - Goal: Fill raised beds with soil + public engagement via display table/educational outreach
Volunteer jobs:
a) wheelbarrow soil to site; b) shovel soil into beds, tamp, & rake smooth c) interact with the public at the display booth; d) conduct mini-workshop(s) at the display booth
3. Sat. Sept. 30, 9 am - 2 pm- Goal: install the plants + public engagement via display table/educational outreach
Volunteer jobs:
a) assemble all plants at site; b) arrange plants per bed, dig holes & install in each of 5 beds c) interact with the public at the display booth; d) conduct mini-workshop(s) at the display booth
Want to join in? Would love to work with you on this fun project. You’d be a great help in any of these areas!
Apply to volunteer here>>
* Also, if you are under 18, please download, complete, and email a Minor Parental Permission and Waiver form to info@bloomingboulevards.org
****Questions? email us at info@bloomingboulevards.org
The TD Park People Grants program is providing essential funding to support park groups in delivering over 216 awesome nature-based activities that foster environmental education, sustainability and stewardship in cities across Canada. Together, TD and Park People are helping to bring Canadians together to unlock the power of parks because they know that when people are connected to nature in their parks and communities, people are happier and communities feel more connected to nature and each other.
Park People supports and mobilizes people to help them activate the power of parks to improve quality of life in cities across Canada.