OCC2022_Takanya_Marsh_HS

Takanya Marsh

King Street Cooperative Community Garden | Whitby, ON

Takanya is a queer, disabled, pagan woman of mixed European descent. Her love of nature led her to study Garden Design at George Brown College and Floral Design at Seneca College, although she is happiest wandering in the forest. The beauty and generosity of flowers, trees and plants has been therapeutic throughout her life, and she hopes to share that healing energy with others. In her volunteer position as lead horticulturalist with the King Street Cooperative Community Garden, Takanya is excited to contribute to local food security and community inclusion initiatives based in collaborative and anti-oppressive frameworks.

About the Project

The King Street Cooperative Community Garden will transform an underutilized field in downtown Whitby into a beautiful park, including a food forest, raised beds for vegetables, a wheelchair accessible path, and a garden shed. There will still be plenty of grassy areas for active play. The food forest will include sweet cherry trees, apple trees and pear trees as well as raspberry bushes, blueberry bushes and currants. Each tree will be supported by guild plants serving different beneficial functions. Garden members will receive an equal share of the harvest each year and excess will be donated to food banks.