by Megan Gottlieb, Lower School Science Specialist
April 22, 2011 If you've been up on the roof of 375 Pearl Street this spring, you've most likely noticed the large felt-like pockets hanging on the length of the fence behind the teacher benches. This is our new Woolly Pocket Garden! Woolly Pockets are made from recycled soda bottles and provide a way for schools in urban settings to experience hands-on gardening on a scale that's usually impossible.
The Lower School received grant money from the BFS Green Committee to fund this project. The money was raised at last year's Dinosaurs, Dolphins and Friends Concert by Tony and Sara Soll, who completely made this project possible - we owe them great thanks. This garden allows us an amazing opportunity to teach kids about gardening, farming, nutrition and organic/farm-to-table/local food issues, among other topics. Moreover, it is providing students a fantastic hands-on opportunity to work in the dirt and grow something!
We will explore these topics in science class formally, but everyone will have a chance to observe the garden as it develops when children play on the roof. Even better, everything we grow in our garden will be harvested and given to Chef Tom, who will directly use our produce in food preparation for cafeteria meals, so we will all benefit and experience this project through the food we eat at lunch every day!
Recently, fourth graders planted thyme, rosemary, oregano, chives, and pansies. Kindergartners seeded basil, parsley, zucchini, lettuce, radishes and dill, which will be transplanted to the garden after they germinate and develop. Third graders are going to take on the initial responsibility for watering the garden during roof times, with possible assistance from the middle school recycling team.
This spring, we will plant other fruits and vegetables (tomatoes, broccoli, beets, turnips, etc.) that will hopefully grow throughout the summer so that we could have a real harvest to give the BFS kitchen after the summer growing season. We hope to plant again at the beginning of the school year so that we have a late harvest of squashes, root veggies, etc.
The goal for this project this year is getting it off the ground; next year, it will be a truly integrated part of science classes and all of our daily food experience at school!
Photos of the installation and first planting.