Connie Kuramoto

Presentation “The Secret Life of Your Garden”

When we garden or walk through the forest or seashore, we often enjoy seeing the plants and the creatures that live there.  It is a great joy to feel a part of nature on this planet that we call home.  But how many of us are aware of or get to appreciate the unseen wonders that lie beneath our feet? 

The soil holds billions of organisms that all have specific job descriptions, and they all play a part in sustaining the earth so that it can support life.  Connie’s presentation will introduce you to a few of the multitudes of characters that sift through your hand when you pick up a handful of garden soil, and we guarantee you will never look at dirt the same way. 

Brief Bio

Connie Kuramoto has been gardening since she was a child.  She studied Botany at the University of Massachusetts before moving to the west coast of Canada where she ran a market garden in Ucluelet, got a certificate in Floral Design from Kwantlen College, then graduated with a Diploma in Greenhouse Horticulture from Malaspina College, which is currently VIU.  She was hired by Malaspina College and worked there as a technician and instructor for the department for 20 years.  

Connie retired from the University in 2008 and has since worked teaching on contract for Gaia College, North Island College, and VIU. She has recently completed working on a contract with VIU to develop a micro credential in Sustainable Soils and Regenerative Agriculture and has worked with First Nations Bands around the province to help them with Food Security.  She is currently working with a band in Rivers Inlet who will be putting up a large food security greenhouse in August.  

Connie shares the presidency of the Nanaimo Horticultural Society with another member, and volunteers on the Board of Growing Opportunities Farm, a farm in Nanaimo that offers opportunities for people with a wide range of abilities and helps provide food security for marginalized groups in the Central Vancouver Island area. She offers workshops through Parksville and Naniamo Community Gardens, does pruning of ornamental plants and fruit trees and offers consulting on a wide range of garden issues. She gardens on a half acre lot near Qualicum Bay and grows most of the flowers, fruits and vegetables that her extended family enjoys.