Benefits of Gardening for Children and Families
I appreciate those emphasizing that this is not an either/or situation but a both/and situation. Another implied distinction to address is that the garden is for adults whereas open space is for children and families, and thus the garden would reduce our children’s spaces. In fact, a community garden would be very beneficial for children and families.
Among the benefits identified in our grant application are:
1. Outdoor education site to teach youth about where food comes from, the importance of community and stewardship and environmental issues.
2. Outdoor Curriculum for students at Lamar Elementary or The Circle School, who will be actively involved in the garden. They will help build, grow, harvest, distribute, maintain, research, and fund-raise as part of the curriculum.
3. The basic desire to spend time outside with nature. Many
4. The garden would provide a sense of community and camaraderie.
5. Gardening creates an opportunity for recreation, exercise, therapy, and education.
These are all benefits that families can experience together.
A quick Google search pulled up a study finding that gardening provides different forms of engagement for children, including designing, planting, and maintaining gardens; harvesting, preparing, and sharing food; working cooperatively in groups; learning about science and nutrition; and creating art and stories inspired by gardens. (http://www.cudenver.edu/Academics/Colleges/ArchitecturePlanning/discover/centers/CYE/Publications/Documents/CYE_FactSheet3_Benefits of Gardening for Children_July 2009.pdf)
I would also draw upon one of our neighbors who wrote, “We were always amazed at how having a simple square-foot type garden in our backyard when our 3 sons were toddlers taught them how to be excellent vegetable eaters, as they remain to this day (now ages 25, 22 and 16).”
I look forward to having my own children (forthcoming!) garden with me. A community garden will expand, not reduce, the ways our public spaces can benefit our children and families.
Regarding point 2: in my recent conversations with the principal at Lamar she has not mentioned any partnership between the Community Garden and the school. I would think that Lamar would have the same problem as I was told that the Circle School has with the placement of the garden. Without clear sidewalks to the garden that the children could not walk there as part of the school activity. I know that walking the children from Lamar to the Witte for a field trip was no easy feat because of the number of street crossings involved, having the school actively involved in a garden at Clover Lawn Park seems out of reach.
ReplyDeleteCircle School seems to be a natural partner for a community garden and as such it would be beneficial to both the garden and school if Mesquite Lawn was the ultimate location for the garden. There is a water main in that park already although the water may need to be turned on and someone has stepped forward to volunteer use of heavy equipment to properly grade the park for garden use. There will be some shade concerns but that will happen at any of the parks and, speaking as a backyard gardener, my garden benefits from some shade.
I do believe that gardens can be a wonderful experience for children but I also firmly believe that giving children open space for creative and unstructured discovery is perhaps more important.
I whole-heartedly agree that gardens and children are potentially a great combination for all the reasons that Courtney and Ruth have mentioned. Thank you! Let's keep this positive energy going and build on it!
ReplyDeleteAfter speaking with people involved in the planning and implementation of other community gardens around the city, I am more convinced than ever that the involvement of the Circle School (and Lamar) is a key opportunity for the continued success of the Mahncke Park Community Garden.
I think the unique pedagogy of the Circle School especially, lends itself to a level of participation from them that is special to our neighborhood and potential boon to our garden(s).
Therefore, if a key to the greater participation with our two special community schools is to increase the proximity of the garden to these schools, then we should give open-minded consideration to that idea.
After speaking with community gardeners, their experience was that shadier garden spots are more desireable due to the special growing conditions here in San Antonio due to the intensity of the sun and heat of our summers.
It is my personal experience as a design professional that site issues can always be mitigated to the benefit of the program. Therefore, we can bring as much sunlight or shade to the site as is needed.