April 2013It's National Volunteer Week! We would be lost without the many many volunteers across the country who save seeds, organize Seedy Saturdays, write magazine articles, staff community events, give presentations and do countless other tasks with us! Being national in scope, we need passionate people to engage in local communities. Thank you so much to our dedicated volunteers for your time, expertise and passion. In the fields - our many volunteersBeing national in scope, we need passionate people to engage in local communities. Thank you so much to our dedicated volunteers for your time, expertise and passion. Please consider volunteering with us - for one day a year at a Seedy Saturday or for multiple days of help. Contact judy@seeds.ca for opportunities. We thought we'd highlight some past stories to give you some idea of the passion and commitment some particularly noteworthy volunteers bring to their work: Community Seed Exchanges Cultivate DiversityWhat’s beautiful about saving seeds is that given a small amount of space, anyone can do it. It’s an accessible way to get people involved in the next step of food security: grow your own, save your own. Seed exchanges have been going on for years, neighbors trading neighbors a few broad beans for some lovely snap peas. The moniker “Seedy Saturday” came into common use over 20 years ago in Vancouver, Canada. Since then, these one-day seed swapping events have become springtime community hubs. Pollinator Patch - Rusty Patched Bumble BeeThe Rusty-patched Bumble Bee is one example of a Canadian bumblebee. Although it was once very common throughout southern Ontario, extensive searches for it by scientists have resulted in the observation of only three specimens in Canada over the past 6 years. The decline in its population has been so drastic that in April 2010, it was added to the Canadian Species At Risk registry as an endangered species, giving it the dubious distinction of becoming the 1st federally listed bee in North America. LovageLarge, elegant and green, lovage seems to be little known to gardeners. I discovered this perennial in my neighbourhood’s community garden a few years ago. I had never seen this plant, and it was an experienced gardener who introduced me to the many facets of lovage. Since then, I have become a big fan. I grow two plants in my garden and it has a choice place in my collection of fine herbs. |
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