GRUBS Camp Day 5 - Bringing It All Together

The final day of the camp started at the Fernwood Community Centre (FCC) again, with the kids playing a ‘Plant Needs Game’ in the field out back. The game consisted of the kids needing to get the four main things (soil, water, air, sun) plants need to grow. They had a lot of fun running around the field to various stations collecting the resources. Kids definitely love a game that involves collecting and running, and if they can learn at the same time, all the better!

We then headed over to the Haultain Commons (more info here) to see what Rainy and Margo have been up to. They told the kids all about the Commons; how it came to be and how the food grown on the boulevard is for anyone to enjoy. They also made more compost tea with the kids, and told them about the importance of using rainwater or tempered tap water (as opposed to direct tap water which is chlorinated) to make compost tea, as well as to water the garden.



After saying goodbye to Rainy and Margo, we headed back to the FCC for lunch and some kid-led games in the gym. After lunch we headed over to the Compost Education Centre (CEC) to plant some ‘no dig’ potatoes. This involved laying down newspaper on a garden bed, poking holes in it, putting compost over the holes, placing potato halves in the holes and then covering the whole bed with llama manure and straw. The kids definitely had a great time getting their hands dirty, as they usually do and they had a good laugh about the llama manure.

We then headed back to the FCC where the kids made seedballs to take home with their parents as they arrived. Once all the parents were there the kids sang a “Sun, Soil, Water, Air” song, and then gave their parents some nettle tea they had brewed (with stinging nettle from the CEC) along with some chocolate beet cupcakes made by one of the other counselors. Finally we all walked over to Springridge Commons and the kids showed their parents all the plants they had learned about. With that the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre/LifeCycles Project Society GRUBS Spring Break Growing Camp came to a close with a lot of happy kids and promises form the facilitators (myself included) to run an extended summer camp in July. There is little doubt that the kids walked away with far more knowledge about gardening and food security and it seemed like most of them wanted to return in July, which is always a good sign!

While the parents may have needed some education, hopefully by education their children some of the knowledge and positive practices will be passed on. Hopefully the kids will start to ask questions of their parents when they're at the grocery store, or when they're eating meals. Food security and solidarity effects all of us, and while we as adults need to be aware of the issues surrounding it, we also need to pass on that knowledge to our children, and make sure they are equipped with the means to make positives changes.