The Roberts Creek Legacy Garden
Located on School District property adjacent to the elementary school, the Legacy Garden has become a centrepiece of downtown Roberts Creek where organic growing practices are modelled and hands-on educational opportunities are offered to the school & broader community. The community, elementary school, and SD46 are partners in the visioning, construction, and maintenance of the project.
As a ferry dependent community, local food sovereignty is particularly important. Although most residents of Roberts Creek have sufficient property to have a food garden, not everyone knows how to grow their own food. The Legacy Garden provides a space for children and community members to learn sustainable growing practices that are particularly relevant in these tenuous times.
Our Goals
- To build community resilience and to strengthen capacity of students and community members through educational and experiential opportunities.
- To create a vibrant educational hub in downtown RC that can be accessed by community members, school staff, and RCES students.
Our Team
Garden design and implementation are overseen by Larry Popowich of Periplum Designs, whose decades of experience and countless contributions have been invaluable. Larry was hired as a designer for the project and has remained on as the key business sponsor who has guided every step of the project’s development. Larry’s connections to the local business community and to the horticultural industry have opened doors and established relationships that otherwise would have been impossible. Larry is truly a local hero.
Roberts Creek Community School administers and manages the project. Oversight is provided by the Legacy Garden Steering Committee. Over 100 community members have devoted countless hours to the project. Our local community members have become essential partners in the evolution of the project.
Next Steps
- Perennial planting plan is being finalized.
- Implementation of planting plan.
- Integration of Farm 2 School Initiative in the school.
- Expansion of Farm 2 School Initiative across the School District.
We have a wonderful team of volunteers and are always in need of extra hands! To Volunteer email [email protected] .
Our Partners
The multi-year construction of the Legacy Garden has been the result of community, government, and SD46 collaboration. We have leveraged over $80,000 of in-kind support from 70 local businesses and $90,000 of funding from three levels of government and community agencies. The abundant generosity of the local business community makes this project possible.