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Community Gardens and Pandemic

Dr Anita Peerson

Public health and food system consultant

Kelly Donati

Lecturer, William Angliss Institute

Janet Novak

Gardener, Hilltop Garden

Catherine Phillip

Postdoctoral Fellow, The University of Melbourne, School of Geography | Faculty of Science

In the face of crisis, edible gardening has immense power to do good.

2020 was a year of enormous change and challenges for millions of Australians and people around the world. The COVID-19 mental, phycial and social effects of lockdown teamed the ongoing economic repercussions have brought about major changes in where we spend our time, who with, and what we do.

Despite its documented benefits for ecological, mental and physical wellbeing, most recently demonstrated through The Pandemic Gardening Survey for ecological, mental and physical wellbeing, edible gardening currently receives limited government support.

Hear from on the community garden perspective, where the garden constitutes an opportunity for ‘place-making’ and becoming ‘third places’ in communities, especially where there is limited residential access to green spaces for leisure and recreation, and what its meant in the face of lockdown.