Residents invited to help plant food forest in Red Deer

Work is underway on the Canada 150 Edible Forest and Pollinator Garden in southeast Red Deer.

Located on the east side of 40 Avenue south of the landfill, it is part of the Piper Creek Restoration Agriculture Project led by ReThink Red Deer, who received a $23,000 Heritage Canada grant for it in honour of Canada’s 150th birthday.

This week’s planting work comes after three days of workshops held at Red Deer College.

“What we’re planting here is a forest of species that are native to Alberta,” explained Martin Scholz, Vice-chair for ReThink Red Deer. “The species we are putting here are largely edible. There also will be pollinators here as well as other types of plants. But the main emphasis is a food forest garden.”

Scholz said Tuesday they are planting 150 different species on the 15,000 square foot garden.

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“We’ll be finishing the initial planting tomorrow [Wednesday]. Later in June there will be another one because we’re putting in a larger species of tree, and some bushes,” he said. “Later on we’ll be adding even more of the species so this whole area will fill up as a forest, as per our design.”

In a couple of years from now once the forest has matured, Scholz says it will produce everything from nuts and apples to pears and apricots.

“Some of the things that you’d think would go into a food forest, but also some of the unusual species Albertans generally don’t think can be grown here.”

ReThink Red Deer is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

“The strength in ReThink Red Deer has in collaborating with groups in the city that are eco-minded,” Scholz said, citing the City of Red Deer, Ducks Unlimited, Red Deer River Watershed Alliance, and Red Deer College as examples.

“In this tenth year, it’s really started to expand. It’s at a point now where we really need volunteers, people who want to be part of the board and become involved with some of the initiatives that are happening around the city.”

Volunteers are invited to help out at the garden site today and tomorrow from 5 – 7 p.m.

You can learn more by visiting rethinkreddeer.ca.