A walkway filled with tall, bright sunflowers, and fluttering butterflies all around…what more can you ask for?
Sheridan College’s Trafalgar campus has a community garden that students, staff, and first-time planters dedicated to gardening can get involved in.
The garden opened in the winter of 2016 by the A-Wing and Athletics Centre.
Anna Pautler, the sustainability officer at Sheridan and one of the people who started the Community Garden, says that the garden at Trafalgar campus is something that can help students take their mind off things.
“You get outside and you’re getting fresh air, you’re getting exercise, plus you’re growing healthy organic food,” said Pautler.
One of the purposes of the Sheridan Community Garden is to promote mental well-being and health. The garden involves a lot of outdoor activities such as walking around the pathway, shovelling, watering the plants, and weeding.
According to Pautler, the garden is supported by grants from TD Friends of the Environment and the Sheridan President’s Creative Challenge. The garden gives the Sheridan community the chance to learn about harvesting organic and local foods for personal use.
It’s also designed to help the community to be more appreciative of sustainable small food practices.
Anoj Khir, an Oakville resident, comes by to see how things are growing and says it is a stress reliever. “I don’t grow anything here, but I come by to check on the garden. It’s good to walk by and get a clear mind.” He also says he brings his mother out for a walk along the garden pathway in the evenings.
Anyone at Sheridan can volunteer in the garden, as long as you fill out a form you can access on the website. “The point of the garden is to bring people together, so anyone (at Sheridan) can sign up for a plot and sign up individually,” said Pautler.
Students who have volunteered for the program must spend at least 15 minutes in the garden, five to seven times a week.
For more information on the Sheridan Community Garden, email communitygarden@sheridancollege.ca and you will receive an answer within a day. If you’d like to read the Sheridan College Community Garden Handbook, click here.