EDUCATION & COMMUNITY
COPLEY ORCHARD FRUIT GUILDING WORKSHOPS (2019-2022)
Here with Janet Yee from the Cedar Cottage Food Network Society.
“Shannon Mendes facilitated very informative workshops on fruit tree guilding at the Copley Community Orchard. I’m truly grateful for the introduction to guilding. Shannon has inspired and motivated me to pursue the Fruit Tree Guild Gardens Expansion as a grant Project.”
GREEN TEAM SUSTAINABILITY CHAIR : MACKENZIE ELEMENTARY PAC (2018-Present)
Formed and led the PAC ‘Green Team’ to overlay sustainability thinking into PAC fundraising and functions. We worked in group of about 15 volunteers (pre-covid) to reduce single use paper/plastics and shift to sourcing unbleached and recycled napkins/serviettes for PAC events. We also began encouraging families to bring your own dishes as alternative to single-use.
Currently (2022/2023) the Green Team is working on the design and implementation of an outdoor classroom garden.
HORTICULTURE DIPLOMA PROGRAM INSTRUCTOR- Burnaby Schools CCE (2019-2020)
2 Semester of lectures to CCE students in subjects of Botany, Plant Identification, Soils, Landscape Design and Business Fundamentals
INSIDE GREEN- EDUCATIONAL PILOT PROJECT (2016)
Along with INSIDE GREEN creator, Sue Biely, I co-wrote and taught, a four module curriculum package for elementary school kids focusing on plant knowledge, plant connections, care, propagation, stewardship and legacy. In addition to curriculum design and teaching, I designed simple print and video collateral to support the project. (see video link below)
“INSIDE GREEN is an excellent educational program that I enjoyed having in my classroom. The students looked forward to both the horticulture and art portion of the program. Every morning, students would come in and go directly to the plants to check on them! The team was energetic and very passionate about their purpose. It is an excellent concept and very well thought out”
SHARED GROWING HUB: URBAN AGRICULTURAL INITIATIVE PROPOSAL (2016)
Urban Agriculture and Organic land care Learning: We learn from the people we connect with. Community garden’s encourage interaction, and with interaction comes shared learning about caring for our gardens. Additional website access and print collateral outlining easy organic land care techniques to maintain a healthy gardens. Regular workshops offered in the areas of food growing, organic land care, soil building, ecological landscape design and crop preserving.
Work and harvest socials: It is way more fun and social to work with others. Annual work and harvest parties will be established to build, nurture and harvest the shared growing area of the garden. These socials not only get the work done, but they create connections with neighbours and increased community knowledge regarding proper planting maintenance and harvesting techniques.
Soil building: There will be a credit system set up for people who bring leaves from street trees and their own properties (pesticide free gardens only), in exchange for mulch and compost credits. We know its not always feesible for individuals to make their own compost and mulch. Their will be an onsite wheelbarrow as well as leaf shredder for sign out.
Garden Plots : Raised garden beds on a signup basis to offer food growing opportunities for those neighbours without access. These plots also function as way to give a sense of ownership and pride to those gardeners that otherwise would not have an opportunity.
