Community Gardens are vital centres for positive change – Morag Gamble

Yandina Community Gardens Ambassador

Permaculture Education Institute (https://permacultureeducationinstitute.org)

I love community gardens and the Yandina Community Gardens community is a particular a gem. Thanks so much to everyone who’s been part of creating, gardening, teaching, supporting in this incredible community hub in all different ways over the years.

Community gardens are such important places of learning, connecting and sharing a way of life that is what the world needs right now.

The impact may not always be easily seen, but the ripples of positive change from community-led projects like Yandina Community Gardens are part of the wave of change around the world. The gardens, the habitat, the programs, the classes, the events, the sharing of ideas and friendships touch people deeply, and change lives, and are a place for urban wildlife. I congratulate all the volunteers and supporters for the positive contribution you are making in the world.

It is so very important because we are in the midst of an ecological and climate emergency and a new way of living and working needs to be made visible. Western society lives way beyond its means – we are experiencing a consumption crisis. If everyone, for example, lived like the typical Australian, we would need 4 earths to meet our ‘needs’ and absorb our wastes – called our ‘ecological footprint’. In fact, everything we’ve been doing from April onwards has been eating into earth’s capacity to regenerate, and taking from nature and future generations. Australia’s overshoot day – when we exceeded our ecological budget – was at the end of March! Global consumption patterns are eroding earth’s capacity to support human activity and life itself.

Regenerative culture and regenerative agriculture is the way forward. We need to live and work quite differently – the way Yandina Community Gardens demonstrates, the way permaculture teaches. Keep learning. Keep sharing your positive message. And keep speaking up for earth care, people care and fair share in whatever way you can – for common-sense and positive, practical and effective change.