Sustainable Merton is one of many organisations across the capital supporting the first ever London Climate Action Week (1st - 8th July), which aims to highlight practical solutions to help cut carbon emissions as part of the global climate effort.
Over 130 activities covering all aspects of sustainability took place throughout the week, with our contribution being a community garden action day at the award-winning Mitcham Community Orchard on 3rd July.
An enthusiastic group of local school children had a very busy afternoon at the orchard session with the help of their teachers and our gardening team.
The children helped to water crops, as well as cropping some very nice cherries and raspberries. Some also tidied up of the orchard's notice boards, which had hedging obscuring them. This involved two of the older children using secateurs for the very first time. A big thank you to all our budding gardeners for their hard work!
Gardening for people and planet
Community gardening in urban areas is beneficial to the environment, and to the health and well being of residents. In the face of a dramatically changing climate, plants and trees in greenspaces and gardens help to cool the air in our towns and cities, mitigating the effects of extreme temperatures caused by urban heat waves.
Community gardens also help to increase biodiversity, reduce food miles, prevent flooding by absorbing rainwater and reduce food waste through composting, as well as providing a place for people to grow and access fresh, healthy food and connect with their communities and nature. The list is endless!
We're very proud of our wonderful community gardens here in Merton - all run by dedicated volunteers who want to make our borough a healthier, happier and more sustainable community, and we will continue to champion food growing in the borough.
Get involved
The action continues at Mitcham Community Orchard, with workdays taking place on the last Saturday of each month. Follow the team on Facebook and Twitter for more info!
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