General News
5 August, 2026
Circle of Plenty is blooming
THE Mossman Botanic Garden’s Circle of Plenty Community Garden is certainly one of my happy places and has continued to grow, quite literally, over the last couple of years.
Featured before in the ‘Goss’, the Circle of Plenty has secured funding through the community resilience arts and wellbeing community program 2026-2027 to establish a ‘climate-adaptive community garden demonstration site’ featuring water-efficient wicking beds.
The Port Douglas Neighbourhood Centre has also received funding for its Grow Connect Thrive: Building community resilience through nature, food and connection program.
Both initiatives are jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements and administered by Douglas Shire Council.
Circle of Plenty coordinator Monika Prins said the projects were about much more than growing food.
“These projects are about building resilience, sharing knowledge, creating connections and helping communities become more self-reliant during times of disruption,” she said.
Facilitated by Ms Prins, the Port Douglas program will offer hands-on workshops in tropical food production, composting, seed saving, soil health and climate-adaptive gardening.
The Circle of Plenty project will establish a climate-adaptive demonstration garden featuring water-efficient wicking beds, volunteer training and community workshops.
The funding comes as Circle of Plenty celebrates the arrival of a much-needed storage container, providing valuable infrastructure to support volunteers and the garden’s expanding activities.
The group also enjoyed success at this year’s Mossman Show, taking home several first and second prizes, while showcasing the many physical, social and environmental benefits of community gardening.
Community members interested in volunteering, donating materials or learning more about either projects are encouraged to contact the Circle of Plenty Community Garden at the Mossman Botanic Garden or the Port Douglas Neighbourhood Centre.
I’m off to try out my new hat and head off the Circle of Plenty, so for now it’s Gazza signing out.
Send your stories to gazza@cairnslocalnews.com.au
