Intergenerational Social Gardening

Our little friends at Kiama Family OOSH spent the morning at the Kiama Community Garden learning about various plants and how to grow fruits and vegetables.

The Kiama Community Garden is located next to the Terralong ILUs and is a public, non-for-profit community activity that anyone can get involved with. It provides benefit to the people involved and to our environment and is a social activity for like-minded people looking to get together for a common purpose.

We caught up with Peter Maywald, Blue Haven ILU resident, who has been involved with the Kiama Community Garden for many years now. Peter was one of the first residents to move into the Bonaira ILUs when it was completed in November 2019.

Peter says they have lost many gardening volunteers due to COVID-19 and are currently looking for more people to care for the community garden together. They share all of the work and all of the harvest.

Planning for the Kiama garden’s design began when 60 members from our community attended a public meeting in 2009. The first plantings were made in October 2010.

The garden does not have individually managed beds, rather, it’s worked on as a whole. The community member’s effort has enabled the very efficient development of the whole site.

Community gardening contributes to the health, well-being, social, environmental and cultural strengths of our community. Furthermore, there are many benefits to gardening for older Australians, including improved moods and lower stress levels, better heart health and even decreasing the risk of dementia.

“Intergenerational social gardening benefits both children and seniors alike”, says Sabrina Kelly, Kiama Family OOSH Director. “Some of the children don’t have grandparents that live locally, and it provides the kids an opportunity to socialise with the older locals in our community, while learning about permaculture and soaking up all the health benefits that come from connecting with nature”.

To volunteer at the Kiama Community Garden, contact kiamagardens@gmail.com

Mobile: 0417 066 896

Visit Kiama Community Garden on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KiamaCommunityGarden