Botanic Gardens Trust, Sydney, Australia

Department of Environment and Climate Change NSW

Community Greening 

helping people to garden

The Botanic Gardens Trust has a commitment to take its expertise ‘beyond the garden walls’ and serve the broader community through innovative outreach programs.

To meet this objective the Community Education Unit has forged strong links with disadvantaged community groups who have established or who are interested in establishing their own community gardens.

In 1999 the Trust joined with the NSW Department of Housing to establish a partnership called ‘Community Greening’. ‘Community Greening’ is the name for a range of activities to promote community gardens that may be undertaken by the Botanic Gardens Trust and the Department of Housing together. It is hoped that over time this partnership will expand to include other government departments and private industry.

By promoting communal gardening in public housing estates, and on nearby community locations, we make a significant contribution to improved social cohesion, crime reduction and public health in both urban and regional New South Wales.

Thanks to financial support of the NSW Department of Housing,  the Trust employs a full time education horticulturist on the ‘Community Greening’ program. We work with the Department of Housing’s Community Renewal Unit and Regional Coordinators and currently there are in excess of 80 communities participating in the development or establishment of gardens on public housing estates, on local Council land, in churches or in schools throughout New South Wales.

‘Community Greening’ also has its own dedicated vehicle - covered in logos of the various sponsors (including Friends of The Gardens, Yates, Eden Gardens and Garden Centre, Andreasens Green Wholesale Nurseries and NSW Department of Commerce) who contribute seeds, plants, landscape materials etc. for use by community groups.

By their very nature, community gardens depend upon local communities to provide resources and support.

Youth Community Greening

Youth Community Greening is an environmental education program targeting disadvantaged urban & rural youth.

You can help by:

 Providing sponsorship
 Providing plants
 Providing landscape materials
 Providing time — volunteers are always needed, no experience necessary

If you want to set up a community garden in your own neighbourhood:

At this point in time our resource are limited and we concentrate all our efforts on supporting those communities with the greatest need and the highest level of disadvantage. However, you might consider the following hints to getting started:

  • determine the degree of interest existing within your local community and, if necessary, investigate ways of stimulating further interest.
  • locate a suitable site. Find out who owns it, outline the project and seek approval to use the site.
  • come up with a design for the garden.
  • seek assistance from relevant authorities such as your Local Council or Landcare group.

Click here to view the Community Greening Evaluation Report.

To find out more contact Stephen Paul on 9231 8333 or fax 9251 4403 or visit www.housing.nsw.gov.au

  

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Community Greening in action

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