The Panorama Project

The Panorama Project is the fruit of a new partnership between LifeCycles Project and Panorama Rec Centre. Instead of renting a school bus to take their summer camps on field trips, the Rec centre opted for sustainability and spent that money on building a garden for campers to care for and learn about growing their own food.

In early June, our new summer students Brodie and Megan helped build four raised beds with Panorama Rec staff Linda and Karrie, some Lifecycles volunteers and Panorama Rec camp counsellors. It was three days of hot and sweaty work, digging, drilling, shovelling and sowing seeds, but the once bleak and gravel stretch of playground was converted into a blooming edible garden. Geoff Johnson generously donated many plant starts from his nursery to the project... and his donated broccoli, basil, kale, heirloom tomatoes and a small fig tree added some flavour to the gardens. Integrity Soils donated huge amounts of soil and compost to the project.

Over the next few weeks myself and a few committed LifeCycles volunteers returned to build a large native plants and herbs garden and a two-bin composting system from recycled pallets. Panorama Rec staff build a beautiful cedar fence around the gardens, and a small tool shed which young campers painted. We held a mentorship session for camp counsellors to learn about the garden’s plants; organic gardening care; and games and activities to engage their campers in the garden. The counsellors were provided with a comprehensive guide to the garden and garden activities for kids.

Soon the calendula, spinach, radish, lettuce and beet seeds we had sown were sprouting and growing, and the summer camps began. I went out to Sidney every Wednesday to do workshops with campers in the garden. The first workshop was an introduction to the plants in the garden- what was what, what was edible, and how/when to harvest the plants. We harvested some radishes and salad greens; and imagined how the garden would grow. We talked about what plants need, and how to care for the garden. For the rest of the summer, the campers and their counsellors cared for the garden and built on their knowledge of plants, ecosystems, organic garden care, and health. By the end of the summer, campers could identify the plants in the garden. They knew how to harvest each plant, and how to tell if a plant was ready to harvest. They had planted their own seeds and cared for them; they were excited about growing food and knew about its importance- as well as the importance of native and heirloom plants.

At the end of the summer camp season, we held a harvest party to celebrate. We harvested all the annual veggies and enjoyed them together, saving seeds as we harvested. In late September we planted over-winter crops like garlic, fava beans and rye. There was still plenty to harvest- our leeks, onions, autumn squash and tomatoes for example. In October we held an ‘Organic Soil Management’ workshop in the gardens as part of Panorama Rec’s fall workshop series. We’re hoping to engage the community to ensure the protection and enjoyment of the garden throughout the year while the campers are in school. Overall, the first term of the project was a huge success, and we’re looking forward to another year with Panorama’s summer camps; as well as to future hands-on environmental education programmes with summer camps.

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