CRAMMED—to say it was crammed definitely would not be an exaggeration… bookings were closed at 60 but those standing between the bookshelves at the back of the room suggested quite a few above that figure. It was a larger audience than the last time this event was held. Most attendees were from the City of Sydney area with others from the Eastern Suburbs and Inner West with a smattering from the southern suburbs and even one from the north shore.
The event? None other than an appearance by that animated telegardener, Costa (SBS Costa’s Gardening Oddyssey). The day? At Saturday afternoon at the end of October 2010. The topic? Growing in small spaces, a relevant topic considering the limited growing spaces in our inner urban areas. The venue? Top floor of Waterloo Library. To get into the event, attendees had to walk past the fruit and vege display set up by the folk from Alexandra Park Community Garden, one of the 15 community gardens in the City of Sydney area.
Megan, Sarah, Costa and Russ
a
Costa gives away vegetable seedlings
City of Sydney sustainability events organiser, Megan Craig, not only planned the event but opened the afternoon and made people feel welcome. Russ Grayson, who provides support to the City’s community gardens and community food initiatives and the policies that enabled them, had a few words about what was happening on those topics in the city and their link to Sustainable Sydney 2030, the long range city plan. The City’s waste projects coordinator, Sarah van Erp, provided invaluable backup support in her usual quiet and competent way.
Then it was over to Costa who told stories, gave away vegetable seedlings and demonstrated how to make a no-dig garden on the library’s floor (on a piece of cardboard, not the carpet, fortunately) and encouraged the audience to support the council.
Costa got across the message about urban food security and growing food and other plants in the city in an entertaining way, a sign of an effective communicator. This, his second appearance at the library on the theme, took the message that sustainability can be grown at home, in community gardens and public places to an audience likely to act on what they heard.
