Curtin is calling for local community members who are keen garden gurus to volunteer their knowledge with students at the Curtin veggie garden on Saturday 25 September from 10am – 12pm.
Curtin University staff and students have created a green oasis of veggies, fruit and herbs at the Bentley Campus.
The garden produces a wide range of seasonal veggies including spinach, peas, broad beans, potatoes, gooseberries and strawberries.
The student volunteer garden project is maintained by a constantly changing group of local and international students.
Peter Cope, from Curtin Housing Services, helped set up the garden and coordinates all the monthly busy bees and other activities.
“The garden, which was originally vacant scrub land, was established to develop a sense of community amongst students who are away from home and to encourage recycling of their kitchen waste and to grow fresh free food to improve student diets,” he said.
“Curtin Housing Services provided us with all the essentials to set up the garden such as wheelbarrows, compost bins, tools, manure, seeds and many well-established fruit trees.
“A number of University faculties provide food scraps from kitchens which make their way into our compost making bins. We also recycle a lot of newspapers for our mulched pathways.”
Mr Cope said staff and students volunteer on weekends to weed, dig, plant and maintain the garden.
“In return, the volunteers can take home some of the produce. It’s not quite a supermarket, but it does supplement their weekly vegetable needs,” he said.
Mr Cope has also organised student cooking competitions using vegetables from the garden.
The garden is located at Kyle Avenue at Curtin University’s Bentley Campus. For more information about Saturdays open morning, go to http://cvgvs.wordpress.com/
Please contact Peter Cope from Housing Services if you would like to offer your expertise and help at the open morning on 08 9266 2641 or email him at P.Cope@curtin.edu.au
