Belief in garden-based learning is not new. In fact the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau in the 1700s and the educator Maria Montessori in the early 20th Century recognized the value of the garden as a tool. by 1914 there was even a federal government agency created to advocate and provide support for youth gardens. In recent years, school garden programs have increased dramatically in number and diversity, fueled by rising awareness of the serious consequences of childhood obesity and diet-related disease, such as Type 2 Diabetes.
The rise in school garden programs also reflect the adoption of federal school wellness policies and public concerns about where our food comes from. Research shows that participation in garden programs brings benefits for students by increasing their healthy eating habits, cooperative abilities, social skills, and academic achievement.
California continues to be a national leader in the school garden movement, and the training and support provided by Occidental Arts & Ecology Center (OAEC) staff has been the wellspring for many of the pioneer programs in Bay Area schools, including the Edible Schoolyard. A wealth of information on school gardens and garden-based learning can be found at the California School Garden Network website at http://www.csgna.org.
California School Garden Network
School gardens are a powerful means of instilling lifelong environmental and nutritional literacy among children. These gardens can serve as living laboratories for hands-on exploration and learning, and seed saving can be a strong component of teaching ecoliteracy. The outdoor classroom fosters critical thinking skills and increases retention rate in man subject areas, including math, social studies, science, nutrition, and geography.
Garden and seed saving bring nature to children at a scale that can fully engage them. To fully understand the profound concepts expressed in this simple poem requires a depth of interaction with and knowledge about the natural world that few of us now experience.
'We feel by the moon'
We move by the stars
We eat from the earth
We drink from the rain
We breathe of the air
We live in all things
All things live in us
~ Author Unknown
To really understand this poem means that students know that because seeds are 95 percent water, they are affected by the moon's gravitational pull and experience miniature tides inside them. Seeds drink from the rain and respire. Many cultures plant by moon cycles. Seeds are a source of food for many animals, birds and insects; they provide a concentrated source of protein and carbohydrates. Seeds have co-evolved with humans, and it can be said that we live in them and they in us. The idea that plants convey meaning and therefore can offer light to an attentive person is a commonly held belief in much of the world.
