On October 14th, roughly 40 students gathered in the Campo garden by the football field for garden maintenance. These work days, which go from 10:00 AM to around 2:00 PM, happen in the fall and spring. In leadership, there is a student-led team that works with Mr. Seligman to promote sustainability projects on campus. All students are welcome to come and work in the garden during these maintenance days, but especially students in leadership.
The students were split into 3 teams. “We had a team moving rocks, we had a team moving mulch, and we had a team pulling weeds and planting bulbs and vegetables,” said teacher Justin Seligman. The rock teams lined the pebbled path with rocks so that the mulch on the side of the path and the pebbles in the path didn’t get mixed together. They also created circles with the rocks around the bigger plants like fruit trees and roses.
The green team worked on trimming plants to allow for them to grow more in the spring, pulling out the weeds that had collected around the plants, and putting more compost in the flower and vegetable beds. The mulch team took the mulch and placed it in the rock circles around the fruit trees and roses. They also shoveled mulch into wheelbarrows and took it over to the expanded side of the garden. There are plans to create a new area for the Angora goats that live in the garden.
The goat sheds are currently in very bad shape and the goats clearly need an improved home. “Beginning next week we are getting the foundation for a new goat barn,” said Seligman. The funding for this project comes from the Lamorinda 4H program, the California Teachers Association, and a few other grants.
After the 3 and a half hours that the students were in the garden, there was a visible improvement in the appearance of the garden that allowed students to be proud of their work. Not only was there a visible benefit, but the students that worked at the garden also gained knowledge on gardening. This was a highlight of the day for teacher Lindsay Webb-Peploe who said that the “students who perhaps haven’t had a chance to work in a garden before are learning about how to mulch, what an irrigation system is, or how to turn over beds.”
There is also a good sense of community and friendship that fosters in the hours that students work in the garden. “I really enjoy the community aspect. It means that you are getting to know people in your community and doing great work that’s sustainable” said senior Maya Carrasco. Students who come to the garden to work get to enjoy spending time together, as well as the visual and educational benefits of their labor.
