New gardens at L.I.S.

BY MARINA SACHT

Work is underway for a new garden program at the Ladysmith Intermediate School (LIS). The south side of the grounds is being transformed into ten garden beds that the students will cultivate.

And no one is more excited than LIS teacher Kim Greenwood, who has championed this program along with others at the school. Greenwood, who is also an organic master gardener, sent in the proposal to the school district, which was met with overwhelming approval. Along with the ten beds, a water tap will also be installed.

And there’s been lots of interest from the community, including the Town of Ladysmith’s Parks, Recreation and Culture Department.

Matt Arnett, a Child and Youth programmer for the Town of Ladysmith, oversees the summer camps held at the Frank Jameson Community Centre. He is also an avid gardener and looks forward to participating in the gardens. “It just kind of all snowballed into this amazing partnership where our students who go to their summer camps will be harvesting the food and tending the LIS gardens in the summer. And then the summer camps students will plant for the LIS students in August, and they will be able to harvest food throughout the winter.”

Ladysmith Intermediate School Principal Laura King, Kim Greenwood and Matt Arnett, looking forward to gardens.

Photo: Marina Sacht

Arnett says the garden offers an opportunity for kids with no gardening experience to get their hands in the dirt. “There are so many connections to all aspects of health.”

Work should be completed by the beginning of June, but the water access still needs to be sorted out, explained Principal Laura King.

“When we got the news, it was pretty exciting because the district is working on its environmental stewardship and sustainability goal. And this fits in beautifully with that. We have a lot of food security issues in all communities. And so it also helps provide some food the kids can harvest and take home,” says King, who adds a lot of credit goes to Greenwood, who worked with other teachers and helped bring Arnett aboard.

Initial funding is coming from the PAC to purchase tools and some plants to get things started, but Greenwood admits to eyeballing local plant sale stands. Donations of any extra vegetables from local gardeners would be appreciated. “That would be incredible to have donations from the community to get the garden going,” says Greenwood.

“It creates that connection in town. People are driving by and going, ‘Those are my kale plants. Those are my tomato plants.’ And then everybody’s invested,” says Arnett.

Both Arnett and Greenwood practise what they preach. They both have homes in Ladysmith and have turned their front yards into vegetable gardens. Arnett also recently started a non-profit society called Front Yard Food Society to turn spaces into community gardens.

Principal Laura thanks the school district’s support in installing the garden. “It speaks to the commitment they have to the school. And believing in us to make sure it’s maintained.” She’s also grateful for the growing partnership with the community.

When looking at the garden site, Greenwood is already thinking of the possibilities. “If we had a bed of thimbleberry and Oregon grape, we could make indigenous jams. ... There are so many places this project can go.”

Next year, her classroom will go a shade green. “Because my room faces the ocean. I get beautiful light, so my room is almost like a greenhouse. I will have all kinds of stu ff growing in my classroom to support the beds and the camps.” There are talks about doing an indigenous plants garden for some teachings in Hul’q’umi’num’.

“I think it’s going to be a beautiful school project,” says King. If you have extra plants to donate, contact, Kim Greenwood at Kimberley.Greenwood@sd68.bc.ca.