Earth Day – School Garden Opening

Spring is in the air and thanks to the combination of hard work and donations from community members, Provo Primary has a wonderful new garden area. The garden was officially opened on Earth Day.  A ribbon was cut by our oldest and youngest child at the ceremony.  The children were excited to get started, digging in the soil and planting a variety of herbs, fruits and vegetables.

Under the guidance of Natalie Zaiden, from Environmental Arts, the garden area has been set up in a corner of the school grounds, using old tyres as planters, arranged under the shade of native trees. Each class has 4 tyres in which to plant and grow things.

When the school buildings were originally built, it was an important feature that as much of the native bush was kept as possible. The school wanted to protect the natural habitat that is home to many plants and animals that share the environment with the children. Consequently, there are sheltered play areas and pathways for the children to explore and an opportunity for them to observe nature at first hand. It has always been a wish for the school to extend this by developing a garden and now that dream has become a reality.

There is no doubt that the garden has the opportunity to be a powerful educational tool, allowing children to develop scientific skills, positive attitudes and a sense of responsibility and team work. One of the most exciting things is that it creates a magical place for children to explore their curiosity of the natural world and how things grow. Through this initiative,  the children will gain a deeper appreciation of how the natural world sustains us and will help lead them towards healthy future lifestyles. There really is no match for the first hand experience of growing and, in turn, cooking and eating real food that you have been a part of caring for. It is one of the best ways for children to become ecologically literate and it is hoped that it will help them to appreciate the importance of building a sustainable future as they grow up.

Here are some of the comments that the children made about our new garden:

• It’s exciting to grow things.
• If we forget our snacks we’ll be able to go to the garden and pick some food.
• I like that we are growing lots of fruits and vegetables. I enjoyed planting the seeds. The school garden will look very colourful with all the things growing in it.
• It’s special because I don’t have a garden where I live and now I will get to watch things grow.
• I am excited about our garden because the seeds we have planted have already started to grow!
• It’s great taking part in growing things because it is helping the environment.
• It’s good because it’s helping to clean carbon dioxide out of the air so there is lots of clean air at the school now.
• It is important so that when we grow up we will be able to grow our own food and teach others how to do it.

The garden is an exciting project and it is hoped that it will continue to develop and flourish over the years. The addition of a sensory and music area, a butterfly garden, a pond and seating areas are all possibilities for its future growth.

It is wonderful to see how this truly community supported project has come together so far. All the children and staff would like to say a big thank you to everyone involved. As well as their valuable expertise and time, Environmental Arts have donated soil and banana trees. The tyres were kindly donated by AXT Automotives and Mac Motors. Generous donations of seedlings and gardening tools have also been received from Beaches Resort and Spa, Provo Landscaping, the Hydroponic Farm and some of our parents.

Everyone is looking forward to nurturing the garden and enjoying its produce in the coming months.   Just as we will watch our school garden grow and develop, it is wonderful to witness our students develop into flourishing young adults as they progress through the school.  The seeds that we plant at this early age are so vital to the path that each child will follow, and their ability to branch out and develop in their own unique way. It truly is incredible to watch and really makes our job worthwhile.