Within Parry Sound there are 7 community gardens that are managed by the Georgian Bay Biosphere. These community gardens were created to provide garden spaces that support community based food sharing. Each garden consists of several plots that anyone can volunteer to use for free, under the simple condition that at least 20% of harvested produce must be donated to agencies for distribution.
This summer the Georgian Bay Youth Climate Collective decided to participate in a local community garden by volunteering to maintain a garden plot located at Yvonne Williams Park. Thus far, in our plot we have planted a bunch of vegetables and some flowers. This includes cucumber, squash, tomatoes, peppers, beans, peas, beets, and radishes, as well as a few nasturtiums and marigolds.
To begin our gardening journey we hosted an event on May 30, 2026, open to all youth and GBYCC members, to start planting and planning our plot. Our wonderful team of youth gardeners that came out turned an empty plot of dirt, weeds, and garbage, into a nutrient rich garden ready to grow!
Photos taken: May 30, 2026
As of most recently our garden is flourishing, and we have been able to donate over 75% of our produce harvested. Our gardeners have even begun a garden journal to keep track of our progress throughout the season. If you are interested in participating in helping maintain our garden plot reach out to Julia at youthclimatecollective@gmail.com for ways to get involved. You can collect community volunteer hours for helping, and drinks and snacks are provided at our monthly garden meet ups!
Photo taken: July 23, 2026
Community gardens are important because they contribute to the success and creation of sustainable food systems. Sustainable food systems address the inequalities that currently exist in our infrastructure and actively work to bring more food security to communities. On a global scale food security is impacted by a variety of natural and human made conditions. This includes climate and seasons, extreme weather, disease spread, as well as the overall cost and availability of food products varying on location. Those factors can vastly affect a person’s access to nutritional food. Even small changes to any of those elements can determine whether a family will be able to consume the proper food they need to fuel their bodies.
With the help of gardeners and local organisations to run community gardens we can increase the amount of fresh produce that gets to those who need it most. As well as simultaneously benefiting the gardeners by providing an accessible green space, which relieves stress and improves an individual’s mental health and physical well-being.
Overall, community gardens encourage a healthy lifestyle for all members of a community. They also foster a welcoming environment for knowledge sharing where people and plants can grow together! The Georgian Bay Youth Climate Collective is so happy and grateful to be able to participate in this program and hopes to continue on doing so for years to come!
To follow our progress check out our social media pages on Instagram and TikTok @gbyclimatecollective to see our garden updates and harvests!