Rain or Shine

It may have been overcast and drizzling this morning, but that did not stop the early Tuesday morning crew from getting the job done. Just like the garden doesn't stop for bad weather, neither do the volunteers! Because it was not the best conditions outside, our students didn't come out today, but that left us with some ample time for some much needed maintenance. On a weekly basis, we use a lot of paper and plastic products for lessons, demonstrations, activities, etc. This was a concern raised between some volunteers. So, like with every kink, we found a solution! Always moving forward, we decided to implement a mini recycling center right in the garden. Taking two out garbage cans, we cleaned them out, poked holes in the bottom so they don't collect water, painted them, and labeled them "Paper" and "Plastic". We then found a home for them next to our compost pile. Once a week, or however often it is needed, we will take our loads over to the recycling center conveniently located a few blocks from school. By setting a good example for our students and by motivating ourselves to be more conscious of such decisions, we are finding one more way of giving back to the community and helping out our surroundings. Now our plastic cups, old papers, wrappers, and other such items can be recycled with ease.

There seemed to be a Reduce, Reuse, Recycle theme in today's garden care today because we also discovered an old wooden plat at the recycling center that Camilo readily painted for us so that we may add another seating area/display area to the garden. Such sections in the garden are important because they encourage discussion and activities to take place right in the middle of the garden, rather then from an on-looking point of view. On top of that, we also mulched and weeded away.

On a side note, all of our wild flowers are in bloom and I can not get over how beautiful they are! In all, even though we didn't get to teach today, the Tuesday morning crew walked away feeling very accomplished with our new additions to the garden.

Katie Schaefer
Independent Study