Growing garden-based educators

Abstract

Garden-based learning (GBL) is resurging in popularity in reaction to a confluence of crises. These crises, involving social inequity, vast economic disparity, ecocide, and mass extinction, threaten human well-being and survivability of countless species. GBL is positioned by proponents as a means of empowering participants to mitigate and adapt. Often unprepared and unsupported, educators seek to sustain and scale success to enjoy the cornucopia of well documented GBL benefits. Through eight in depth interviews with diverse garden-based educators across three provinces and varied settings, we interrogated the meaning of success in the educational garden while mapping an ecosystem of current and imagined support. Cultivating joy, engaged learning, empowerment, and fostering healthy relationships within and between students and their community and environment were highlighted as the primary goals of gardenbased educators. Educators interviewed desired GBL-friendly policies including funding and infrastructure, curriculum-integrated GBL resources, training at all career stages, and community-based support. Consequently, Faculties of Education are uniquely positioned to cultivate and support a thriving GBL ecosystem. Ultimately, critical garden pedagogy adds to the transformation of education to promote the well-being of all humans and diverse life on Earth.