Community
27 November, 2023
Mossman… a land of plenty
'Gazza's Gossip' It’s been a long time in the making, but finally stage one of the Mossman Botanic Garden was recently launched.
Although this could ultimately be a ten-year project until final completion, this early stage is very exciting for the teams behind the venture, the Mossman public and indeed the Douglas Shire in general.
For people who are still not sure of the garden’s location, basically if you go in a northerly direction just past George Davis Park in Mossman, they are situated on the next large open area.
Those involved, thus far, include the Rainforest Rescue and Terrain NRM, who are collaborating with Mossman Botanic Garden with the aim to plant over 4,000 trees along the northern boundary of what will cover some 55 acres of botanic garden.
Keen gardeners will tell you that trees always grow best when they are used to the climate from a young age. For this reason, the trees to be planted are currently being grown by Rainforest Rescue at their nursery in Cow Bay, all from seeds collected at the garden site.
Apart from being a future research centre, the garden is working closely with the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people of the Daintree region and their corporation Jabalbina, which offers horticulture and ranger trainee and employment programs.
One thing I remember from school is never really being taught how to grow my own food, other than nurturing a few cress seeds on damp cotton wool in an egg shell.
With this in mind, it was great to hear that the Botanic Garden is already being put to good use with the inception of a ‘circle of plenty’.
The initial event last Wednesday is the start of a long-term project to promote sustainable food cultivation, involving the local community who will learn the skills of food growing together. Furthermore, it is about people working together with a common goal.
This first initial gathering involved educational talks, a community lunch, art exhibits and live entertainment. There was also a raffle and great prizes to be won on the day which was attended by local organisations, individuals and pupils from nearby schools.
As is often the case, local volunteers have played a huge part in the site preparation, which has included ripping, composting, wood chip placement and generally getting the area ready for the artistic transformation.
Well done everyone involved so far. We all look forward to future developments over the coming years.
I’m off to clean my shovel, so for now it’s Gazza signing out! Send your stories to
gazza@cairnslocalnews.com.au
