By Jude Mead

A local community garden is growing more than vegetables this season—it’s cultivating curiosity, responsibility and a lifelong appreciation for nature among local children and adults. The Norfolk Community Garden, located at Botelle School, was started by Lisa Auclair after the community’s farmers market ended during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Auclair then handed it over to organizer Marie-Christine Perry and Margaret Saxe, one of the program’s volunteers.

Since then, it has grown into a volunteer-driven effort that brings together children, experienced gardeners and community members. “We volunteer to get the community engaged and teach best practices for organic gardening while giving back to the Norfolk community,” said Saxe and Perry.

The garden’s youth program offers hands-on opportunities for children to learn the fundamentals of gardening while spending time outdoors. Under the guidance of experienced volunteers, participants plant seeds, tend garden beds, pull weeds and harvest fresh produce. Along the way, they gain a better understanding of how food is grown and the importance of caring for the environment.

The program is designed to teach practical gardening skills while encouraging teamwork, patience and problem-solving. The young people experience the satisfaction of watching plants grow from tiny seeds into healthy vegetables, herbs and flowers, and learn that success comes through consistent care and effort. They also harvest the fresh and healthy vegetables they have grown.

The garden has welcomed as many as eight student participants and seven volunteers, including an expert composter, a landscape architect and community members who assist with building additional garden beds, roto-tilling, enriching the soil with organic materials, supporting the student garden club and helping grow produce for donation to the local food pantry. Environmental education is a key part of the program. The gardeners learn about composting, water conservation, healthy soil and the important role pollinators play in supporting gardens and local ecosystems.

Looking ahead, volunteers hope to continue expanding the program. During WIN Weekend, the gardeners will be on-hand to provide recommended guidelines for garden bed owners, conduct sign-ups for the next growing season and offer composting workshops for both students and adults. Saxe and Perry are also hoping to soon develop additional educational opportunities in partnership with Botelle School, noting that “We would like to see the project expand to include many more future gardeners.”