International students volunteered in the Campus Community Garden last week.
Connecting with nature can help restore balance and tranquility, says Tanya Basok, which is why the sociology professor was glad to see international students have the opportunity to volunteer last week in the Campus Community Garden on California Ave.
More than 40 students signed up to help prepare the garden for the growing season. Dr. Basok says organizers hosted 11 groups of four for work shifts on-site.
“Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we had to limit the number of students,” she says. “It also rained for two days, otherwise we could have had many more sessions.”
Most of the participants were enthusiastic about returning to the site, which grows vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. They had all registered as volunteers at the workshop “Watching Seeds Grow” led by Jenna O’Brien, a member of the garden’s management committee, March 11 in the International Student Centre.
“Particularly now, when we are required to isolate ourselves from others, being out in nature and sharing this joy with a few others is a very important experience,” says Basok. “I think the students greatly appreciate the bonds we form as we work side-by-side, at an appropriate distance, to revive the garden and transform it into a place when one can be in harmony with nature and all the beauty it brings.”