Hello from Ashley Higginson
April 10, 2026
Hello Community Neighbours!
My name is Ashley Higginson, and I am a 4th year Anthropology major with a specialization in Community Engagement under Professor Ryan Hilpert. I am of settler heritage and come from a long line of agriculturalists on my paternal side. This is my final semester of my undergraduate degree, and I have been so blessed to collaborate with Jeffrey these past few months. My primary role has been educational support during the CEC’s Let It Rot program at a local high school. It has been both eye-opening and humbling to engage with youth and learn more about the importance of soil health. I was raised by a soil-scientist-gone-teacher so you can imagine that I enjoy this line of volunteering very much!
Since beginning my volunteer role at the CEC, I’ve been able to sit in on meetings; attend a Seedy Saturday event with Jeffrey, Claire, and Haya; harvest worms for the school programs; and help Jeffrey transport a rain barrel to and from our high school site. It has been both informative, as I gain insight into the non-profit sector, and rewarding, as I learn alongside the teenagers in our classroom. My passion for environmental justice has grown, and my newfound understanding of the CEC’s Anti-Oppressive Policy has encouraged me to consider how I’m showing up as a volunteer. Over the course of this semester, I have managed to discover so many new and valuable perspectives and skills, that I look forward to one day working for a non-profit myself!
What I’ve come to learn is that the Compost Education Centre is a very special place that is nestled right within the community and willing to grow with and in response to community need. I have had the pleasure of volunteering here, and I can’t wait to sign up for some of their classes… or perhaps even a membership! I might have left the site some days with dirt under the fingernails, water-soaked knees, or hair falling out of its elastic, but nothing will ever compare to the memories that I took home too.
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