PEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW̱ (Blossoming Place)

PEPAKEN HAUTW ProgramPEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW̱ (Blossoming Place) is a native plant nursery, community school garden, restoration project, and the home of the PEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW̱ Native Plants and Garden Education Program. Located at the ȽAU,WELṈEW̱ Tribal School, this special place has been transformed from an underused area in the back lot of the school into a beautiful blooming oasis. Students of all ages come to enjoy planting vegetable gardens, propagating native plants and participating in the restoration and development of the native plant gardens in front of the greenhouse space. Currently we are partnering with the Lifecycles Growing Schools Program to develop the next stage of the education program, linking it effectively into the elementary school curriculum. This unique vision is an amazing model for native plant education combining with garden food education in a hands-on, participatory way that is fun for everyone!

PEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW̱ is also a native plant propagation operation which supplies native plants to restoration projects at SṈIDȻEȽ (Tod Inlet) and ȾIX̱EṈ (Cordova Spit). This work is supported by SeaChange Marine Conservation Society and Tsawout First Nation.

For tours or further information contact Judith Lyn Arney at juditharney@gmail.com.

A video created by Jakob Hjalmar Hólm of PEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW, which provides year round food systems programming, food celebrations and feasts for W̱SÁNEĆ students from kindergarten through adult education and invites knowledge keepers, elders and other community members to share and celebrate. With three school-wide events a year; a Fall Feast, Earthday Event and Spring Harvest Celebration, students, teachers and community members have an opportunity to eat together, showcase their learning and celebrate. Through 60 annual environmental inquiry workshops, the PEPÁḴEṈ HÁUTW project provides hands-on participatory learning that encourages curiosity and lets students lead. Our workshops include: seed saving, seeding, bed prep, container gardening, native teas and medicinals, ecological restoration, caring for chickens, mushroom growing, compost building, transplanting, plant identification, native plant propagation and planting, pest management, harvesting, SENĆOŦEN language and cultural food activities, storytelling, crafts, fishing field trips and more! Our collective vision is to expand perennial food production on school grounds, incorporate more sea-based food preparation and preservation of traditional WSÁNEĆ foods into the project. We aim to build a robust program empowering teachers, students and communities to lead, a project that will continue to grow and develop to meet the needs of the WSÁNEĆ communities and become a model for the region and beyond.

Tags: 

 

Region: 

Address: 

Canada