Hello. My name is Amy. I am the student representative for the Exeter Community Garden. My role includes engaging students and the wider community with the garden and environment. This role matters to me because it helps other students explore their interests while promoting environmental action in community spaces.
Activism
Environmental activism is important to me as it breaks down human versus nature boundaries to foster mutual respect. The respect we should hold for nature is not new, but rather a continuation of environmental and socially charged activism that can be created, recognised and appreciated at local and global levels.
The Exeter Community Garden champions and supports positive environmental social activism through the very practices of gardening. It educates garden members about compassionate, proactive environmental garden techniques, highlighting how activism can extend beyond the physical space of the garden.
Creating change
One way I am taking action is via the current ‘pond project’ that is transforming a disused, neglected pond for pond life to thrive and for fellow volunteers to engage with pond ecosystems. Using projects and physical forms of action to extend my beliefs and understanding of the environment is an effective way of implementing change. This project is a collaborative space for students to get involved with and add their own impact onto the landscape while learning and educating others on environmental urgency, the importance of local ecosystems and small-scale actions that can have widespread impact.
Get involved
The Community Garden is a small but creative space full of diverse people, opinions, and interests, but we are all unified by the common practices of gardening and environmental consciousness. For students who want to be part of their own community-led initiatives, I recommend using your interests to see what other local groups are available in the area to join and be part of an ever-changing social movement of activism.
Find out more about the Garden and ways you can get involved at https://exetercommunitygarden.co.uk/