1431 Garden, the Junior’s Surfrider Project

The Junior’s SR garden project was started Sept. 27th, with 3 consecutive days following to finish up. Seven Junior SR’s were involved (Hana Dixon, Jack & Fred Sanford, Kalum & Soleille Temple, Morgan & Clayton Valk & Ella Gilbert) along with myself, Brenda Schwab, Rich Sanford, Cath Temple, Will Creba, Laura Lunty and Marc & Georgina Valk.

This public beach access and green space was becoming somewhat of a garbage dump. People were throwing there garbage into the bushes and trampling all over the garden as there were no pathways to walk through. We wanted to adopt this garden to show people that our green spaces are important and that they should be respected.

So the Junior Surfriders decided to take the garden on as their project. The garden has been rebuilt with low maintenance native species plants, and 2 rock pathways to assure low impact access between each side of the garden. The Juniors feel that it is important that the community sees that they are concerned about the amount of garbage that is not making it into garbage bins and is being left on and around our beach areas. The garden project at 1431 is now their project, they hope people respect it and keep the area clean and free of garbage. The Juniors will maintain this garden 3-4 times a year as part of their Respect the Beach program.

Surfrider Pacific Rim has also purchased a bear proof garbage can to go at the end of the garden area, through fundraising done last year with Shelter Restaurant’s 2 buck puck promotion.

- Written by Trish Dixon