Herb Workshops with Camp Cosmos Camper
A collaboration between the free skool and Camp Cosmos led to afternoon activities led by Kate Harris and Jayne Malenfant. Campers got to learn about the history of the McGill garden (including the Three Sisters garden), and distinguish different herbs by smell, touch, and sometimes taste! We checked out the hive and talked about pollinators and what kinds of foods we can grow at home.
Garden-Based and Alternative Pedagogies with McGill MATL Students
In July 2018, Prof. Dawn Wiseman invited her MATL students to join Mitchell McLarnon and Jayne Malenfant in the garden. Amongst the plants and bees, we discussed different approaches to bringing outdoor education into the classroom, how activist education and free skools could supplement institutional learning spaces, and lessons we had learned as educators in different contexts.
Eco-Art Workshops with McGill Students
In September 2017, Prof. Mindy Carter invited her undergraduate class to an artistic workshop in the garden, facilitated by Jayne Malenfant and Zeynab Yousef Zadeh. Jayne provided tutorials on flower and plant hammering, utilizing different items from the garden to create colourful imprints and designs. Zeynab took students through an experiential group project, "Fostering eco-sensitivity," which encouraged students to reflect on how they interact with different environments and the creation of art through the senses.
The Community Garden/Outdoor Learning Space is open to any classes who wish to use it, and workshops can be provided around eco-art, environmental education, learning for sustainability, or other areas of interest. If you have questions or ideas, feel free to contact mitchell.mclarnon [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Mitchell) or jayne.malenfant [at] mail.mcgill.ca (Jayne).
