Melodious. Tranquil. Balanced.
All terms used to describe harmony, a beautiful combination of different aspects. Group 30 aids in creating this harmony by joining with their community partner, the Squamish First Nations people, to combine hard work with teamwork to build a garden and communication with experience to build memories.
Group 30 was working with the Squamish First Nations people in their harmony garden. As I dialogued with them, they continued to share about how the experience was meaningful to them and that they were happy to be providing concrete benefits to the community and work alongside some members of the Squamish people. They spent several days tirelessly weeding the garden, planting garlic, and spreading manure “even in the pouring rain”. In rest, they enjoyed the sight of their labour and drank tea steeped from the herbs and fruits right from the very garden they toiled. More exciting still, some group members were given the opportunity to learn how to smoke salmon. Such events added such depth to the project as it formed allowed this team to draw personal memories from the project.
Currently the team intends to finish their CBEL project by making a children’s book and providing research for a cookbook being created by a master’s student also working with the community. They hope their research and book will be “used and reused in the community, spreading knowledge through the generations and creating excitement for learning” in the Harmony Garden and the community leading to more community involvement and growth in the gardens in the years to come. But, for now, the team celebrates the time spent with the community commenting “It added so much meaning to our project as we got to know those who we would be helping and truly connect with the community.” The connection of this group’s members and their CBEL project is just one of many in LFS 350, combined they form perfect. Harmony.
– `rtang