Meet Sheridan Mission Zero Hero nominee, Lorina Harvey

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As we strive to reduce our carbon footprint, Sheridan has asked students, staff, and alumni to nominate individuals who are already making a change to create Sheridan’s first Mission Zero Heroes. Lorina Harvey, a 25-year-old interior design student, was one of those nominated. Harvey was honored for her work in the Sheridan Community Garden, growing vegetables to help those in need through the Kerr Street Mission in Oakville and Brampton Regeneration Outreach.

Sheridan Community Garden is all about making a positive impact on the community and environment. Sheridan’s Community Garden began in 2016 to unite staff and students to participate in Community Garden activities. The Community Garden Committee is made up of volunteer faculty and staff members, divided up into two groups one on the Trafalgar campus and one on the Davis campus. Both groups have the goal of providing an outdoor environmental experience and a chance to learn how to locally harvest goods.

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The environment and climate change are important issues to Harvey. “It directly impacts us,” said Harvey. “Also, generally as people, the one thing everyone has in common is the earth,”

Before her work in the Community Gardens, Harvey was living on the Davis Campus and started growing a small garden by her windowsill. During a dinner with fellow students and Sheridan President, Janet Morrison, Harvey mentioned her new windowsill garden Morrison was so intrigued that she had Harvey connect with the Community Garden Committee. Harvey connected with the committee then continued to spend her whole summer in the garden.

By growing crops in the Community Garden, Harvey explains how it’s all about sustainability and contribution. When individuals have access to fresh locally grown produce, it cuts down a fraction of waste and prevents dependence on pre-packaged food items. Comparing growing crops to buying them, there are clear benefits for giving back to our earth.

“It just also promotes reusing because you can use the seeds again because a lot of the products that we used came from seeds of stuff that had previously been eaten. “It’s all that whole Reduce, Reuse, thing,” said Harvey.

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The community garden has allowed Harvey to get outdoors and take a breath from the chaos of COVID.
“I would try to get outside as much as possible,” said Harvey, “It definitely helped me not go stir crazy,”
Since working in the Community Gardens Harvey has grown to love it and the people she works with, deciding to continue her work as well as to uphold sustainable practices while gardening.

Mission Zero Hero nominee Lorina Harvey encourages students to email Professor Harsh Thakkar or herself to get involved in the Community Garden and leave a positive impact on the environment.

Sheridan Community Garden contact:

Harshthakkar@sheridancollege.ca, CommunityGarden@sheridancollege.ca.

For more information on locally grown produce and sustainability look at the infographic below or keep scrolling to watch a video on Sheridan Mission Zero Hero nominee Lorina Harvey

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