Foundation programs
Australia's gardening charity
Our purpose is to inspire and educate gardeners so they can create beautiful, productive gardens for a sustainable garden future.
Now, more than ever, the world needs more gardeners to nurture our living environments and to connect us to the cycles of nature.
You can help us to save threatened diversity and assist others starting out in their gardening journey.
Explore the programs of The Diggers Foundation and learn how you can make a contribution to making a better world through gardening.
Saving heirloom seeds
Community support
Community & school programs
Learn how we connect with community groups to support their growth, wellbeing and a healthier planet.
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Seed the future
Our pledge is to donate two million seeds to schools and communities. Learn how Diggers members are making this possible
Learn moreGarden preservation
Historic gardens
Support our Foundation owned gardens to help preserve traditions, historic buildings, heirloom seeds and plant varieties for generations to come.
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Seed Saver Garden
We've developed a new Seed Saver Garden at Heronswood, where you can see our seed saving work in action.
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'Through education and understanding we can reverse the generational damage done to our environment but if we don't act quickly, we risk irreparable damage to the planet's climate' Clive Blazey, AM
SUPPORT US
Help support our programs
Through our partnership with The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, you are able to make a tax-deductible donation to help support the work of The Diggers Foundation. We are sincerely grateful for any contribution you can make.
Community Partnerships
We connect with groups on a daily basis who seek our support to help them grow productive gardens. Thanks to our members and donors, we have been able to assist many organisations across Australia connect with their food source, for personal wellbeing and a healthier planet. This includes productive gardens for women leaving domestic violence situations, those living in affordable housing communities, school groups, community gardens and organisations assisting those recovering from drug and alcohol addiction.
Bunjilwarra
Co-founder, Penny Blazey worked as a correctional counsel officer for youths and experienced first-hand the devastation drug and alcohol abuse has on lives.
This is a particularly complicated problem for Indigenous youth so the Bunjilwarra model of care, draws heavily from the Aboriginal designed Social and Emotional Wellbeing framework which locates individuals at the centre of an intersecting and layered wheel acknowledging colonisation, relationship to country and kinship.
The Bunjilwarra program is staged to reflect the healing journey and growth experience for Aboriginal youth and is designed to support the developmental needs of young people with a focus on vocational pathways.
Primary school program
Through a community partnership between The Diggers Foundation, The Botanical Gardens Victoria (Melbourne and Cranbourne) and Ardoch Youth Foundation we have developed ‘The Lifecycle of a Seed’ program.
Ardoch is a children’s education charity focused on improving educational outcomes for children and young people in disadvantaged communities. This program will enable schools to bring young people to our gardens for a STEM experience where they learn that like them, a seed has the potential to grow provided the right conditions are provided.
It is a hands-on experience with the children planting and learning how to preserve seeds so they can return to their classrooms and backyards and create their own kitchen garden. A mindfulness exercise is incorporated to connect children to nature and strengthen their resilience – much like a tree that has weathered numerous storms.
High school program
The concept and reality of climate change is daunting for adults, let alone kids. The Diggers Foundation is partnering with Grassroots Sustainability to deliver a ‘Farm My School’ program that is all about educating to maximise behaviour change for a healthier environment and a brighter future.
The aim is to educate and inspire people of all ages through fun, engaging and interactive activities which are bound to change the way people live their everyday life.
