Student News | Issue 16, 2012
Liberamente
‘freely, with liberty’
In This Issue: Tabor Community Gardens Graeme Clark Research Institute Features on ABC National Radio
Community Spirit Grows Tabor Community Gardens Volunteers and Students get Involved!
Tabor Adelaide - Now a Skills For All Provider School of Education Paper Presentations Alumni - Where are they now? Tabor Adelaide Joins the Seminary Stewardship Alliance Reader’s Corner Notices
Key dates to remember! Remember to make note of the following dates: 9 June - 15th July Tabor Semester Break 13-15 July Tabor Adelaide Youth Work Camp 25 July Tabor Social Club BBQ - 12pm 18 August Tabor Open Day 10 -2:30pm
Christy and Josh Spier have been a part of the Tabor community since 2008, through their contribution to both the Year in the Son and Youth Work programs. In 2011 Christy and Josh facilitated the YITS subjects Spirituality 1 and 11 and this year Christy has been volunteering to develop the community gardens, which they started in conjunction with the subject. The overall theme of the Spirituality subject is shalom, where the students look at relationships in four spheres – our relationship with GOD, OURSELVES, OTHERS and THE EARTH. The subject aims to take the students on a journey to understand the interconnectedness of these spheres. If you are interested in further reading in this area, Josh has his Masters thesis in the Tabor library. Christy comments, ‘We wanted to experiment in all these four spheres of shalom and the garden sprang up as an achievable way to do that. It was a way to practically restore a piece of the “earth” and to also connect us with others - we have included indigenous plants to this region, reminding us of what the environment used to be like and WHO inhabited it. We are starting small and seeing what grows...’
The community gardens are now a part of the whole YITS program. Two YITS students are rostered on each week to participate in any work that needs to be done and two previous students are rostered on two other days to ensure the gardens are weeded, watered and developed. Christy comments, ‘The purpose of the program is to nurture the environment and remind the students of their reliance on and connectivity to the earth. It is a spiritual practice.’ As with many volunteer projects, the community garden program is reliant on the contributions and time of Tabor staff and students. Neil Loughhead, an Education student at Tabor, freely constructed and donated three vegetable garden beds to enhance the outdoor learning environment and program. This contribution, from his business, Harvest Rainwater Tanks, has lifted this small but very public corner of the Tabor grounds. A big thank you goes out to Neil for his time and efforts. Currently there is plenty of parsley, coriander and lettuce leaves that you can pick to add to your dishes or sandwiches. We look forward to the space continuing to blossom. If any student, staff or community member would like to be involved to keep the garden producing throughout the year, Christy would love to hear from you. It would mean volunteering for an hour or two, one day a week to water, weed and improve the space, particularly over the summer months. If you are interested, have ideas for the garden or wish to contribute in any other way please contact Christy at Christy_spier@yahoo.com