Why is the pollinator part of the Hopewell Community Garden so important for the folk who garden there? In this episode, we speak with renowned pollinator specialist Lorraine Johnson about pollinators, pollinator species, and how they can be incorporated into the life of a thriving urban environment. When pressed to describe what unifies her work, Ms. Johnson has settled on the term "cultivation activist". The author of numerous books on growing native plants, gardening for pollinators, restoring habitat, and producing food in cities, Lorraine’s work focuses on people and communities growing plants, ecological health, and connection to nature, and to each other. Interspersed with our interview, are snippets from a walk through the Hopewell Pollinator Garden, which took place last June, on a damp and stormy evening. Umbrella in one hand and amplification mic in the other, Ms. Johnson shared her knowledge about the plants in the garden, and who they attract.

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The Hopewell Garden Audio Story is created by Christine Malec, Rebecca Singh and Katherine Sanders. They are a trio of artists who came together for the purpose of creating audio experiences of the natural world from a Blind-led perspective.

The Hopewell Garden Audio Story is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Toronto Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Foundation.

Logo Image Description: A square with large yellow text that reads, "Described Toronto" and below it "PODCAST" in all capital letters, within a yellow rectangle. The title is layered on top of a photo of four diverse women standing side by side outdoors in front of a garden in a park. The woman at centre who is white speaks into a mic. She has a white cane strapped to her shoulder bag.