WILAM-NGANJIN COMMUNITY GARDEN

Wilam-nganjin community garden on the grounds of Reservoir East Primary School (REPS) is a place where students and community gather. Wilam-nganjin, meaning ‘our place’ was given to the space by the Wurundjeri Council, after consultation with REPS students. The space is significant for students, parents/carers and the local community, as it allows connection with people and place. Students have described the garden as ‘Fun, important because it’s food for us, and it helps the environment.`

Initially the space was an open grassy patch, bounded by a couple of gum trees with only a fence, large shed and water tanks. In 2019, a concept design was prepared and the gardens started, with the installation of wicking beds at the start of 2020. Since then, the space has evolved and grown, with the support of the school and families, and carers who have volunteered their time, energy and knowledge. There is also a mini-orchard with apples, citrus, pomegranate, apricot and nectarines, a hugelkultur bed with seasonal produce, compost bays, worm farms and greenhouse. Interspersed among the fruit trees are indigenous edibles including warrigal greens, pig face, nodding saltbush and kangaroo apple. Flowers dot the space encouraging pollinators and students, who come in to taste honeysuckle or take some posies home to their parents/carers.

Weekly lunchtime garden club has been running in Wilam-nganjin for the past year. You will find students planting seeds and seedlings, watering the gardens (and themselves), weeding, looking for insects and taste-testing the produce. Linus likes “eating the strawberries straight off the plant because they’re so sweet,” while Bonnie likes “scavenger hunts and going on school days with my friends at school.” Last year, students who had never been in the garden were drawn in by the abundant fresh peas, tomatoes and chillies!

Grade 3/4 and 5/6 classes rotate through the garden, assisting with compost processing (chopping up food scraps from the classrooms), mulching paths and garden beds, maintaining the garden and planting and harvesting produce. They also learn to appreciate where their food comes from and how to garden. Shaniyah shared “It means everything to me because all I know is that plants are food.”

Wilam-nganjin also benefits the wider community through sharing of excess produce. Leafy greens are often plentiful, so these are often shared with school families and the local food bank. DIVRS have supported us with seedlings and volunteer help too.

Parents and carers help out and connect at our weekly garden sessions and regular working bees. Carla, a regular volunteer at Wilam-nganjin says, “Weekly volunteering at the garden, as well as weekend working bees, gives me the chance to connect with other families that I miss out on due to working. Some of the best connections I’ve made in the school and wider community have been through volunteering in the garden.”

Often pre-schoolers join the sessions and, as noted by Carla, “My youngest started coming into the garden when he was two years old and now that he has started school, he has had a head start with some friendships due to connecting with other kids through the garden over the years”.

Wilam-nganjin community garden will keep growing and evolving with future projects, including a sheltered area where students and community can gather regardless of the weather, and building more garden beds. There will be more workshops and events, so stay tuned for details of these.