New dates for this course have not yet been confrimed. If you would like to be kept informed of these dates, please contact us and we will be delighted to take your details.

Community gardening is a well established movement worldwide and is fast gaining popularity in Ireland with community gardens springing up around our major cities towns and villages. Community gardens provide a variety of opportunities for communities ranging from a safe place in which to relax, environmental education for schools, to learning opportunities in gardening and home food production. The latter provides opportunities for wholesome, low-cost fresh fruits and vegetables and can be a springboard for community residents to learn about good nutrition health, organic growing methods etc. The most important aspects of community gardens are having fun, learning and building community bonds. So what is a community garden exactly? These are open spaces managed and operated by members of the local community. They are used for vegetable growing and to create a pleasant garden space. Almost all community gardens use organic methods, and some are concerned with health, education and training issues. All are based on a sense of community, with participation and involvement being particularly strong features. This sense of community participation and empowerment can inspire the cleanup of waste ground and create opportunities for people to work together to improve their own communities in many ways. They provide unique opportunities for adults and children to learn about nature and the environment. In our health conscience times gardening offers moderate exercise that most people can participate in. If you are interested in learning more about community gardens, or would like to find out how to set one up, we may be able to help. We are currently setting up a community garden in Dunhill Ecopark and are hoping to provide training and workshop opportunities for interested individuals, schools, community groups and others in setting up their own gardens. For more information, please contact: Samantha Richardson Environment Manager Dunhill Ecopark Ballyphilip Dunhill Co. Waterford e-mail: samantha@dunhillecopark.com telephone: (051) 396623