Edgar's Mission Memorial Garden Launch Event

Edgar's Mission is a not-for-profit farmed animal sanctuary that seeks to create a humane and just world for all. At any one time, the farm oasis in Lancefield is home to 350-450 formerly farmed pigs, cows, sheep, chickens, roosters, geese, turkeys, goats and donkeys, plus the occasional cat and dog. For the past eight weeks, it was also the home base for our latest Youth Take Over project.

Edgar's Mission has always wanted to carve out a space in the Sanctuary to remember animal residents who have passed away and honour the bond between them and their sanctuary carers. But with so much work to do around the Sanctuary, the project kept getting pushed back. Enter Youth Take Over. We recruited eight interns to respond to this challenge, led by the team from Pollen Studio, a local landscape architecture studio specialising in creating landscapes that tell a story.

In Week 1, Edgar's Mission briefed the team on their vision for the memorial garden, and the interns set about making it a reality. Guided by Pollen staff and guest mentors, they learnt about all aspects of landscape architecture – from plant selection and costing to considerations around light, drainage and maintenance – and applied these learnings to their design. The interns also immersed themselves in the Sanctuary, learning about its mission, operations and roles, and meeting all the animals! They did so with an investigative lens, noting the important features of the landscape and understanding the bond between volunteers, staff and their animal friends so as to represent it in the memorial garden later. Throughout this process, our interns truly became a landscape design team of their own as they worked with Pollen to transform their ideas into an action plan.

When it was time for the young people to present the final design to the Edgar's Mission team, each intern took turns speaking to a different element in the blueprints, explaining their careful reasoning behind their choices. The response was incredible – Edgar's Mission approved the plan and their feedback was overwhelmingly positive. This is a testament to the interns' ability to work as a team, listen and share ideas, and work in a collaborative and dynamic workplace setting.

The interns have shown tremendous dedication to this project and shown up week after week, and now it's time to celebrate their hard work.

Please join us for an exclusive first look at the Memorial Garden design before it hits construction in Spring!

Formalities from 1pm – 3pm, including refreshments and a site tour. The site can be wet and muddy, and the Welcome Barn is unheated. We encourage you to wear appropriate shoes and dress warmly.

This project was facilitated by Central Ranges LLEN and Pollen Studio through Youth Take Over and sponsored by the Agnico Eagle Community Partnership Program. Special thanks to Indie College and the Woodend Rotary for supporting this Take Over.