The Winthrop University Educational Community Garden is an inclusive outdoor place that supports research, collaborative teaching, experiential learning, and community building. The garden is a safe space that fosters fairness, equity, and inclusion across race, gender, age, religion, identity, socioeconomic class, and gardening experience, while nurturing values of courage, truth, justice, compassion, dignity, humility, and service. Participating in the community gardens strengthens ecological literacy, systems thinking, futures thinking, community collaboration, values, strategic and critical thinking, and self-awareness. The Garden uses raised bed structures using organic gardening practices, “a comprehensive, holistic approach to gardening in a way that maintains and supports a healthy, balanced ecosystem and biodiversity.” Organic gardening reduces exposure to harmful chemicals, improves the flavor of produce, and reduces greenhouse gas emissions. A portion of the food is donated to community agencies that are providing food security.
Volunteers will assist with various tasks:
January and February will require more frequent days to clear the fence of brush and general cleanup of the garden, weeding, moving soil, or helping with the composter.
We will meet less frequently in March and April, focusing on planting and maintaining the garden, weeding, moving soil, and helping with composter.
