A group of Somali community members are joining forces with the Karen to run a kitchen garden at Werribee Park.
The project began in 2012, when Werribee Park ranger James Brincat wanted to return Werribee Mansion’s kitchen garden to what it was when first established by the Chirnside family, the former owners of the mansion.
In 1875, the kitchen garden produced fresh vegetables for the Chirnsides to eat. Today, it supplies greens, mint, capsicum, chard, and more to the restaurant at the mansion. The volunteers are students at AMES, participating in the Working Beyond the Boundaries program – a partnership between AMES, Parks Victoria and the Werribee Mansion.
It was created in a bid to teach refugees and newly arrived members of the community new skills, develop social networks and gain an understanding of a new culture.
An AMES spokesman said there will also be the opportunity for members of the group to work alongside Parks Victoria rangers in other gardens at the mansion.
“The Somalis have asked that they too be given the opportunity for some of their young adults to enter into the traineeship program which has seen many individuals from local CALD communities receive one-on-one training in parks and garden maintenance,” the spokesman said.
“Werribee Park has one of the largest active volunteer groups for any garden in the state …aside from many hours that are given by our volunteers, the volunteer program is also a way of engaging with local CALD communities.”
