June in the garden

Once upon a time, in the heart of Wickaninnish Community School, there was a magical garden full of wonders and surprises. This June, the garden was bursting with life, and the students, teachers and our Elders had the most amazing adventures!

In the garden, strawberries and rhubarb grew side by side. The strawberries were so sweet, and the rhubarb was delightfully sour. The students had fun tasting both and loved the surprise of how different they were. Chef Ron even made a delicious strawberry and rhubarb crumble that everyone got to enjoy. Yum!

In spring 2023, the students planted potatoes in nine black containers. There wasn't enough rain, and the potatoes didn't grow - or so we thought! This spring, green leaves started to appear. By the middle of June, the students discovered over 100 potatoes of all sizes hiding in the soil. The kindergarteners were thrilled to harvest, wash, and eat their tasty potatoes. What a surprise!

Did you know you can paint with flowers? The after-school garden classes found out just how fun it is. They used pansies, scabiosa, and calendula to create beautiful cards on watercolor paper. As they painted, they nibbled on these edible flowers, making the activity even more delightful.

The students set up a cozy home for mason bees and were lucky enough to see three bees hatch and fly to the flowers. It was pure magic! The bees worked hard to pollinate the garden, and the children were grateful for their tiny friends. One of the students' favourite activities was making infused honey using lavender, thyme, and Nootka roses from the garden. Special thanks to Adrienne for sharing her lovely blossoms!

Throughout June, the garden welcomed special guests like Connie Kuramoto from Gardens On the Go, teaching us all about late spring pruning. Jan Brubacher supported us in our watercolour painting party, Cathy White taught us how to create plant labels with clay, and Kristen Nisbett, the SD70 Healthy School Manager helped us plant potatoes in a burlap bag donated from Wendy. They shared their talents and wisdom, making the garden a wonderful Intergenerational place to learn and grow from and with one another.

The worm farm is thriving too! Each week, the students fed over 100 red wigglers and watched them wriggle happily in their habitat. Other little critters joined the fun, making the worm farm a bustling mini-world. Thank you Martha for offering to take care of our little farm for the summer. We can't wait to see how much worm poop has been created.

To celebrate the end of the school year, our Intergenerational Garden Program collaborated with Kelsey and Leah from the District of Tofino’s Seniors Program and had a fabulous Strawberry Tea at the Legion. They enjoyed classical music by Dave, sipped on Earl Grey tea, and nibbled on cucumber sandwiches and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Thank you to Tofino Chocolate for your generous donation. It was a wonderful gathering of over 30 community members.

As the school year has come to an end, I would like to thank Mrs. Bruhwiler, Miss Polly, Miss Tucker, Miss Comtois, Miss Hirst, Mrs. Avila, Mrs.Thompson and Miss Baas for inviting me into your classrooms to teach your students all about gardening. I am touched by the interest, joy, hard work, questions, and knowledge all your students shared throughout this year. A special thank you to Caleb and Kendle, you're always supportive, flexible, and so cheerful and wonderful with all the After School Children's Programs we offered this year in the garden club.

Special thanks to Chef Ron, who is amazing at creating healthy, nutritious, and delicious snacks and lunches for our students. Thank you for always being so welcoming and positive, inviting the school garden food into your menu. Thank you to all the teachers and EAs for being flexible and welcoming to me and our programs. Your bright, welcoming smiles always make me feel at home. Ashley, you are a wonderful addition and so helpful to me this year. Thank you, Em, for always helping me with any practical supplies I need to help the program run smoothly.

This all could not be possible without the support and space to house Tofino Community Food Initiative supplies, gardens, and programs. A huge thank you to SD70 and Wickaninnish Community School admin for your support and ongoing commitment to seeing food and gardening as a priority.

A huge thank you to Katie and her team for taking care of the garden over the summer, and to Kim and Susan for looking after the tomatoes and peppers in the greenhouse. The community's support made the garden a special place for everyone. Volunteers are the cornerstone of our success. We appreciate all of you and what you do! A special note to say we are blessed and grateful to our board members for being the foundation in seeing this program flourish. Thank you Leah, Adrienne, Dan, Julia, Jennifer. An extra special thank you to our good friend and former administrator, the multi-talented Hélène.