Hectic Day

Today was a little bit crazy because we started off the morning with the arrival of the reporter and photographer from the St. Pete Times that were supposed to come on Monday but couldn't because of the rain. Instead of the 5th grade class that normally comes out during that time, Ms. Davis's class came out to help out and talk to the reporter. Because they've been working on the project for a few weeks, we decided to split them into groups that would water and plant chives. It was really cool to be able to meet the kids that we have been working with on this project during Winter Term, as not all of us were here to meet them, and to see how excited they are about it. After the plants were watered and the chives were planted, the kids spent some time checking out how everything else is growing and Dylan showed them the worms we put in the compost.
After the kids left, we spent some time talking to the reporter, who was really supportive of the project. He told us about a new environmental charter school in Tampa that is focused more on teaching kids outside and also has its own organic garden that supplies the cafeteria with produce for every day's lunch. It was cool to hear that other kids are getting to experience gardening like the Lakewood students are.
It's been really cold outside and there's a chance of frost tonight, so we had to figure out how to protect everything overnight. Kaylie ended up getting some sheets at Goodwill for the beds and we covered the marigolds and sunflowers with mulch so hopefully they stay insulated enough through the night.
We spent the afternoon planting oregano and sage in the herb garden, as well as getting another load of mulch to spread around. A second grade class came out with their substitute teacher so we had to take over since she didn't know what to do. We introduced them to the garden and dicussed respect for others and for the garden. They also helped us spread the mulch out. We had a lot of fun with them and they all left very excited about the project.