In this introductory episode, the Described Toronto Collective, Rebecca, Katie and Christine introduce themselves, revealing themselves as a multi-talented, multi-disciplinary gleaming constellation of artists! They discuss what listeners can expect from the podcast series, and describe the upcoming Description-Rich Story Hour at Lee Lifeson Art Park on September 27, 2025.

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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.

In this final episode of the Hopewell Garden Audio Story, Katie, Rebecca and Christine talk together about climate action, hope, the value in all of us working communally, and how much we loved working on this project together. If you’re new to the project, this short listen is a fantastic summary of what we’ve done, and an invitation to listen backwards.

Follow our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/describedtoronto

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.

September is a poignant time in any garden. The season is changing, it's the harvest, and everything is gradually slowing down. In this time of natural transition, Rebecca Singh led a guided, described walk for members of Toronto's Blind and Visually Impaired community. And, Christine returned to once again talk with the gardeners about what they're up to, and to hear about life in the garden. From the look and feel of a New England Aster to parties in and out of the garden, this episode has a little bit of everything!

Voices you'll hear in this episode, in order are: Rebecca Singh, Christine Malec, Charlie Bush, John McMillan, Charity Landon, Kimberley Gibbons, Kim's feisty little hound.

Follow our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/describedtoronto

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.

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.

Follow our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/describedtoronto

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.

Warning, this episode may lead to healthy snacking. In this part of the Hopewell Community Garden story, we'll get a guided tour through the lush veggie garden in high summer. Even more nourishingly, we'll get to know some of the people who garden there. As they talk through the why and how of their experience in this space, they map out a practical, emotional and thoughtful landscape of what a garden is and what it can do. They're warm, thoughtful, smart and caring, and in their words, we find answers to what we can do in the face of the climate crisis: form communities, and create spaces where nature can survive, adapt, and thrive.

Voices you'll hear in the episode: Kimberley Gibbons, Charlene Bush, Xaviier Blake, Charity Landon, John McMillan, Dennis Boyes, Marias, Amelie Gibbons Basha

Follow our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/describedtoronto

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.

This is an immersive and joyful introduction to the Hopewell Community Garden in Walter Saunders Memorial Park. We’ll hear the serene voices of some of the gardeners talking about why they garden there. Audio Describer Rebecca Singh gives us some vivid description highlights of the park, infrastructure, flora, fauna, and a little bit of people watching, fun for blind and sighted listeners alike. We’ll learn some of the history of the garden and the land it occupies, then get some empirical research results showing just how successful the pollinator garden has been at attracting pollinators. Peace, community, human connection, information, and effective climate action: like an August garden, this episode is bursting with life!
Gardeners heard in this episode: Amelie Gibbons Basha, Xaviier Blake, Kimberly Gibbons, Charity Landon, Charlene (Charlie) Bush, John McMillan, and Anthony Ayers

Follow our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/describedtoronto

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.

This episode introduces the limited series The Hopewell Garden Audio Story. Listen to hear about what this exciting new series has in store.

Follow our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/describedtoronto

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.