Magellan school garden (food garden & habitat gard

By:

I           Profile of the students

• Students:

Bilingual students K- 3^rd grade

Teachers:  Ethan Vlah / Orlando González.

Green coach: Sayuri Yamanaka.

Grades: Kinder garden, 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd

 

II         What we did

Since the beginning of the growing season and receiving the Sustainable Food Center Award, kids in the after school program have been involved in the preparation of the garden, the planting of many crops, and various studies of the planted beds.  During our Spring Break, a small group of kids mulched the garden pathways, helped mount a compost bin, and began the planting season with a special trifecta of plants – the three sisters of Meso-America: blue corn, beans, and squash (in this case, pumpkin starts, which we found sprouted from the remains of the previous year’s jack-o-lantern in the compost we’d already prepared)!  Dozens of vegetables and herbs and flowers have been planted, some bought locally and others donated by parents.  Students have done observations of in the garden of insects and the life cycle of plants (we are now bagging spinach for seed collection), learned how to transplant, and had lots of fun running around on the grass area beside the garden.

On Earth Day, we began a second green space in front of the school with a raised bed and flower bed planted with native species which we hope will attract butterfly larvae and later feed the insects. The butterfly garden activity was focus on engaging students in the preservation of plants that are native to Austin’s surroundings. Students from Kinder donated funds to buy native plants. Ten different types of plants were chosen and planted in what would become a habitat for butterflies also native to the area. We incorporated three different aspects into the experience. The first was to introduce the topic of native plants and habitat in a group setting. Second, during the activity we described certain plant functions and insect roles within those habitats, as well as, the importance of their preservation. Finally, we had a reflection in which we talked about how we can incorporate what we learned at home and in our community. This activity has provided a unique way of demonstrating environmental responsiveness and instilling preservation through action in the community of The Magellan International School.

The next step will be to organize a meeting/training session with MIS parents in order to get their insight and suggestions for a sustainable garden project that lasts for years to come, including the discussion of our participation in the Share the Harvest a SFC program available for schools too.

 

III        Outcomes

Food garden (huerto)

Butterfly garden (habitat)

Green bucket partnership (composting service)

 

IV        What we accomplished

• With the students

Inspire students to do actions for enrich soil though composting & reduce the amount of waste

Demonstrate composting process onsite

• With the school community

Increase environmental awareness though composting process onsite and training

Beatification of public space

Reduce or eliminate organic waste dumped into garbage

 

V         Tools & materials

SYH manual (National Wildlife Federation)

From Farm to School (Sustainable Food Center)