School Gardens Land Back program!

[Sunday Harrison]

Hello Everyone! 

Green Thumbs Growing Kids is happy to announce that we have openings for participants to join our program called The School Gardens Land Back Volunteer Training Program. Green Thumbs Growing Kids has been establishing and running successful curriculum-linked programs in school gardens since 2000. Due to the large number of requests we’ve received to help new schools, we’ve expanded our offerings to include a training program to enable parents and community members to start or meaningfully contribute to elementary school gardens in their own neighbourhoods.Our training program will have a focus on developing practical gardening skills and knowledge, as well as an emphasis on food policy, literacy and the role both have in youth education.

Indigenous Mentorship

Furthermore, participants will have the opportunity to learn from Indigenous mentors to experience and learn first hand about decolonization and reciprocity. Our TDSB students are hearing the Land Acknowledgement every morning over the PA system - here’s an opportunity to bring it to life.

The first cohort of participants will be starting in October, and will run for 15 weeks until January. The structure is: in-person 2 hour session on Monday from 1:00 until 3:00pm, and one 2-hour hands-on/volunteer session in an active school garden, either Wednesday morning, Wednesday afternoon, Thursday morning, or Thursday afternoon, your choice. TTC fare is available, as is the needed Vulnerable Sector Screening pass.

If you are interested in this opportunity and can commit to the timing of this program please email volun...@greenthumbsto.org !

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Sunday Harrison, MES

Executive Director
Green Thumbs Growing Kids

Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Pronouns: She/They
Office: 647-348-5437 or 647-FIT-KIDS
Cell: 416-876-1480

www.greenthumbsto.org

sun...@greenthumbsto.org

I am grateful to work and live on Indigenous territory stewarded by the Mississaugas of the Credit and shared between Anishnaabek, Haudenosaunee, Wendat, and other allied nations under the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt. I wish to honour this treaty as a newcomer/guest, that asks us to not take more than our share. I also acknowledge that these lands were taken by duplicity and force, and that reconciliation includes #landback.

[Marc Green]

Wonderful initiatives, Sunday. 

We’ve been talking internally at BUFCO about the Land Acknowledgement, and how to move it from the standardized written word that gets repeated regularly and is no longer the starting point, but rather seems to be coming across as “duty filled” lip service. It’s one thing to have such a formally written item in a company web site, but it’s another - and something to move towards, in my opinion - to bring new and personal insight and meaning to the Acknowledgment. I hope there is movement on the front of the publicly presented acknowledgment to take it off the page and express it from the heart.

Just my 10 cents (2 cents adjusted for inflation). 

Marc Green (he/him)

VP Operations
The Backyard Urban Farm Company
(416) 450-3899 (cell)

[Sunday Harrison]

Great thoughts, Marc. We are sharing the Toronto Climate Action Network's narrative about the Land Acknowledgement - it's a great starting place.

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[Rhonda Teitel-Payne]

Thanks Marc and Sunday for these reflections and resources.

Recently I was at a gathering where the Indigenous woman leading it said she didn't want to hear any more land acknowledgements, and asked instead that each of us reflect on what we've done to support Indigenous people. My initial reaction was oh sh--, not enough. It was a good focus on action and accountability - totally the opposite of rote reading.

What are our relationships to land, water and all other living beings on the earth? Are we trying to have good relationships with Indigenous people - both individuals and communities? Who benefits from our actions? Just a few of the questions on my mind.

Rhonda

Rhonda Teitel-Payne (she/her)

Co-coordinator

Toronto Urban Growers

@TOurbangrowers

TUG would like to acknowledge that the land on which we work is the historical territory of the Wendat, Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee, Chippewa and, most recently, the Mississaugas of the Credit River nations. We encourage anyone who lives and works in Tkaronto (Toronto) to think about our responsibilities to this land and water, and to the peoples who have cared for this place for thousands of years. 

TUG resources for reconcili-action

---- On Tue, 03 Oct 2023 13:02:54 -0400 Sunday Harrison <sun...@greenthumbsto.org> wrote ---

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[Marc Green]

Yes, for many of us, it’s time to turn this from a “by wrote” to a “from the heart” recognition.

[paul ramses]

Thank you Rhonda.  

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