Green fingers urgently needed

Kaiwaka Community Garden is in danger of going to seed due to a lack of volunteers.

Located behind the town’s War Memorial Hall, the small kitchen garden supplies fresh vegetables to the Te Pātaka o Kaiwaka Food Bank and provides a steady supply of greens to those who donate their gardening skills and time.

Keen gardeners and those with a few hours to spare are invited to help with planting, providing seeds, weeding and general upkeep of the garden. Currently, the garden’s guardianship is left to Carla, its only volunteer.

“It’s not a very big garden,” Carla says. “Between a few people, it’s not too much of a workload if we work together. Many people say they will come and help, but then life seems to get in the way.”

This is the second time the garden has been at risk of closure due to a lack of volunteers. Last year, the garden was overgrown and in disrepair and was revived thanks to the efforts of a crew serving community time through the Department of Corrections (DoC).

“I hate the thought of the garden dying,” Carla says. “It would be wonderful if someone could come and take ownership of the project. It is a really important community asset.”

Alongside more volunteers, Carla would love to see people with a genuine passion for community gardening come together to deliver workshops, teach planting techniques and boost engagement in the project.

For more information or to volunteer, contact Carla 022 197 7245.