How does your garden grow?聽
That is the question students at Dr. Brass are learning the answer through as part of the 鈥楪rowing Citizens鈥� program at Dr. Brass School in the city.聽
Instructor Susan Muir said the program focuses on a number of key areas, agriculture education, environmental stewardship, Indigenous perspective and social learning.聽
As part of the program Grade 4 and 5 students have been growing an indoor garden; kale, lettuce, peppers and tomatoes 鈥� with the produce eventually consumed in what Muir termed a 鈥榮aladbration鈥�.聽
And now the program is itself growing with the first four box gardens installed in the school yard, and currently awaiting a load of donated dirt which will eventually allow the students to transfer plants they have already started inside to the outdoor garden.聽
The location was chosen right along Darlington Street.聽
鈥淲e want the community to see it,鈥� said Muir, adding the nearby tree adds shade for when students gather for outdoor learning too.聽
Muir said the garden offers many opportunities to teach, starting with creating a chance for 鈥渁ctive engagement with the real world鈥� for students.聽
There are practical class lessons too, such as students working on the math to determine the volume of dirt needed to fill the box gardens, with students doing the hands-on measuring.聽
Once the dirt arrives the students will add earthworm casings from their indoor earthworm farm, and then use a soil testing kit to determine what the soil may need in terms of nitrogen, phosphorus and nutrients.聽
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the science of it,鈥� said Muir.聽
Muir said she does have a vision where the gardening program will become an intergenerational bridge, with the school looking to care home residents to visit as a gardening resource and students then visiting the seniors in return 鈥� although at present that idea has been shelved due to COVID-19.聽
聽鈥淲e want to be actively involved with the community,鈥� she said.聽
Over the next five years Muir said a plan is being prepared that will see additional gardening space at the school, along with a location to erect a teepee, and a more formalized outdoor learning space.
