News

December 17, 2009

LPS-College Park Students Collaborate on Community Garden

Sarah Johnson, LPS-College Park Biology Teacher, has been working with her students since the beginning of the school year to rejuvenate the previously dilapidated garden space on their school's campus. Students have cleaned, re-soiled and reseeded the 35 garden beds with crops such as collard greens, kale, potatoes and herbs.

In December, Ms. Johnson organized UC Berkeley students from the School of Environmental Design to lead the students in various projects. Students constructed a large chicken coop, painted compost bins and made educational garden signs. The student-volunteers also cleaned up weeds and green waste from the site and created a sustainable mulch pile. LPS students worked together to design and paint a "Welcome to Castlemont Community Garden" sign that will hang in front of the garden.

Students loved the volunteer day. One student remarked, “I really liked how there were hecka volunteers who cared about us and our school.” Another student who worked on the chicken coop said, "I learned how to use a drill for the first time. I liked how all of the girls got to do things that boys usually do."

Ms. Johnson takes her Biology and Environmental Science students outside for experiential learning activities about ecology, sustainability and urban agriculture. Next semester, she will use the chicken coop to raise chickens with her Environmental Science students. In the future, she wants to see the garden space used as an outdoor classroom by teachers across subjects.