Meet Lisken, Community Educator and Compost Connosieur

Tell us a little about yourself.

While I am technically not a Colorado native, I have spent the vast majority of my life here. My family of origin always had a garden, and I love the challenge of gardening here in Colorado. At one point I was able to grow about 40% of our food during the summer months and fill in the rest with local food sources. This gal is all about local and sustainable food systems!

Professionally gardening also fits like a glove for me. I am a board-certified Health & Wellness Coach, Lifestyle Medicine professional, and have a master’s degree in Holistic Nutrition. I have a whole food, plant-predominant dietary pattern and love to teach others the health benefits, simplicity, and sustainability that comes with this lifestyle!

How did you first get involved with DUG?

The first time I volunteered was at a food forest site. It was a group workday for local B Corp employees, which I had learned about because my husband works at Namaste Solar. I met so many wonderful people there and I love the idea of food forests. That led me to seek out all kinds of other DUG volunteer opportunities, as well as having my own community garden plot.

Why do you keep coming back to volunteer with DUG?

I love SO much of what DUG stands for, and it is spelled out so nicely in their mission, vision, values, and pillars. Every DUG space is a welcoming, inclusive environment of learning, community building, growing organically healthy food, and honoring the earth. When I volunteer with DUG, I feel like I am really working toward the world I want to live in and want my kids and grandkid to inherit.

Do you have a fond memory from a volunteering experience?

I have many wonderful memories of volunteering at DUG but there are several memories that stand out. Grow a Garden is a DUG program that provides folks with seeds and vegetable/herb seedlings at the beginning of the growing season. I have volunteered with the distribution of the kits for a couple of years now. I love seeing the families and older adults come in to pick up their chosen plants and seeds. The kids are so enthusiastic to grow their own food, and it gives me hope for their health and wellness when they start growing food at a young age. The same could be said for the older adults who often pick up their seedlings and relate stories of growing their own gardens throughout their lives and what they have done with their harvest. Another fond memory of volunteering at DUG is working with schools and urban farms. At The Urban Farm in Denver, we worked with groups of kids to search out Japanese beetles and helped the kids understand the differences between invasive pests and those that are native pests, such as grasshoppers. We taught them how to naturally manage those pests without chemical intervention. It’s so fun to watch the kids search for the beetles and discover all the various places they hide as well as other things in the garden they notice while searching.

What would you say to someone interested in volunteering with DUG?

There is a place for everyone at DUG and everyone will benefit from your gift of time and effort. Volunteering helps support DUG but you get so much more in return! Getting your hands in the dirt and supporting local communities is one small thing you can do to be more sustainable and promote your own health and wellness as well. Just try it out once! I guarantee you will want to come back again and again!