Schoolyard Gardener at Fresh Roots in Vancouver, BC, Canada
During my summer work term in Co-op I have been working as a gardener with Fresh Roots. Prior to starting this job, I wasn’t too familiar with how to grow and maintain a garden. However, throughout the time I have spent working, I have been able to pick up these skills along the way, as well as many more that I hadn’t even thought of before.
I’ve gained valuable knowledge in gardening, food security and the importance of community engagement.
While working at these sites my main tasks would include watering, weeding, planting, harvesting and planning out gardens. In terms of food security, I learned a lot about the importance in having access to healthy and safe food and was even able to contribute some of the produce I harvested to the Fresh Roots Lunch program where it was made into meals for the staff and many youth.
Fresh Roots has a diverse collection of people with different sets of knowledge and experiences. This diversity helps us to grow and evolve our skills as a group, and discover new methods of engaging within the community.
This experience has given me the opportunity to explore areas I wouldn’t normally consider, or even be aware of for a future career.
Overall, Co-op has given me clarity in potential careers or areas of research I would like to explore further after my degree.
