To celebrate Earth Day, a few of my fellow master gardeners and I led eight small groups of sixth graders through a nature trail. As we stood under a mulberry tree, with its immature green berries, I asked how many had ever picked fruit from a tree. In each group of twenty, only three to five students raised their hands (gasp…really?). Picking fruit from a tree and enjoying its freshness should not be a unique opportunity; but it is! Oh how I wish the mulberries had been ripe and each student could have experienced a fresh mulberry. Reaching up through the limbs to pick a mulberry is in itself a valuable lesson in science. Is there a better way for our youth to learn about nature; to learn how food is produced; to experience first-hand how a farmer works with earth to feed the world? I think not! (Preach it, Sister!) (more…)
Nutrients are an important part of our lives. See how they help us feed ourselves and the world and keep the earth green through activities such as gardening.
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Dee McKennaAs a stay at home mom of three girls (ages 8, 3 and 1), I have a passion for... |
Archive for the ‘Service Projects’ Category
Learning Garden 6: Building
Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012Learning Garden 3: Validation
Monday, April 9th, 2012Read more about this topic in our Learning Garden blog series:
Learning Garden 7: Raised Beds
Learning Garden 4: Designing the Garden
Learning Garden 2: Long-Term Sustainability
Gardening makes me happy, especially when I am gardening with my three girls, as seen in the picture below. The benefits of a garden are undeniable. As we work with the soil to grow our vegetables, we learn about soil fertility (science). When we plant the seed, we read the label directions on the seed packet (English) and learn the depth at which we need to plant the seed (math). We look at the sun that provides the heat to warm the soil and we add water that provides the moisture for the seed to germinate (botany). Then we wait (delayed gratification) for the seed to root and pull up nutrients from the soil (science) and grow into a plant that produces a vegetable (food production). We grab our harvest basket and collect the vegetables that we have grown (teamwork). We sit down at the table (sense of belonging) to enjoy a meal (nutrition) grown from our hard work and care (nurturing). I am excited that our schoolchildren have the opportunity to learn these subjects, skills, and attributes from our new learning garden. (more…)
Learning Garden 2: Long-Term Sustainability
Monday, April 2nd, 2012
After a week of rain, progress on Benton’s Backyard outdoor classroom and learning garden can be seen. Sunburnt and covered in dirt, a few hard working dads framed up the sidewalks, shed floor, pergola floor and mow strips in preparation for concrete to be poured. Our students returned from spring break to witness all of the changes. (more…)
Learning Garden 1: Overview
Thursday, March 15th, 2012Read more about this topic in our Learning Garden blog series:
Learning Garden 7: Raised Beds
Learning Garden 4: Designing the Garden
Learning Garden 2: Long-Term Sustainability
Back in September of 2010, I started a new journey with my local elementary school, and now I would like you to join me on this journey, as I create a series of blogs that describes how a school and its community built an outdoor classroom and learning garden in 2012. During this journey, we will discuss the role of soil in a learning garden- how to maintain the soil in the garden and essential learning activities educators can do with their classes on soil science. In addition, our soil science curriculum, Nourishing the Planet in the 21st Century, is available online for free; all three levels of our curricula have been favorable reviewed by the Smithsonian Institution and written in conjunction with the BSCS. I understand that not every school and community will need or want a garden as large scale as the one I am working on. But I hope you will follow this series to get inspired and learn some best practices. There is so much you can teach with soil science in an outdoor setting!
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FFA Chapters Honored for Work on Soil Nutrient Education
Thursday, January 12th, 2012
Bronson High School FFA was the repeat winner in Florida.
“I believe in the future of agriculture…” begins the creed of the National FFA Organization. Memorizing the FFA creed was one of the very first things I completed as a freshman in agriculture science class. Twenty-some-odd years later (you didn’t think I would give away my age, did you?), I still believe in the future of agricultural and the National FFA Organization. Today, there are 540,379 FFA members, in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (more…)
Garden Resolutions
Friday, December 30th, 2011
In the same breath, I can tell you that I am exhausted from Christmas but also full from all of the memories created. The tree is still up; suitcases are sitting full of dirty laundry. Toys are strewn from one end of house to the other, and there are three girls silly, full from sugar, creating yet one more memory. There is time to reclaim the house, but right now, I sit and reflect on 2011 and look forward to the promises of a new year.
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Plant, grow and learn! Getting your hands dirty to teach kids about soil nutrients
Tuesday, June 21st, 2011
Planning a youth garden camp takes time, creativity and a lot of help! I have led this particular youth camp for several years now and strive to make each one hands-on, educational and fun. This year we had 70 campers whose ages ranged from 5-15. Fortunately, I had 18 extension master gardeners, whose ages I will not mention, volunteer to help. The campers were all part of a 4-H program at the Air Force Base. They arrived at the extension office in color coordinated shirts and were eager to get their hands dirty… well most of them.
Perennials vs. Annuals in Your Landscape
Friday, May 6th, 2011
Our school contains a passionate group of teachers, parents, and administrators that dream of building an outdoor classroom at our elementary school. Since I love dirt, plants, and kids, it’s fitting that I am elbow deep in this project. Bringing this vision to a reality takes years of planning and fund raising from a community of dedicated people. One method of fundraising has been a plant sale. (more…)
10 Ideas for Gardening Volunteer Projects
Thursday, April 21st, 2011
This week, I received a call from my next door neighbor, Marilyn. She was at the grocery store and they had just unloaded a fine selection of Japanese maples (I find it amazing you can buy trees at almost any grocery store during spring). Marilyn called to get my “expert” opinion, “Can I plant this in my yard and where should I plant it?” Aren’t we all guilty of this type of impulse buy? (more…)
Cactus, Politics, and Fertilizer
Friday, February 18th, 2011I attended the 2011 Fertilizer Marketing Business Meeting in Arizona last week. My home in the Midwest was covered in snow; the Arizona sun was a warm welcome change. I delighted in the opportunity to explore and investigate the local vegetation. I was most intrigued by the Saguaro Cactus. (more…)
Feeding the World
Thursday, December 16th, 2010Between Thanksgiving and the New Year, we are in the spirit of giving. We reflect on our own abundance and consider those who are less fortunate. (more…)
