Pupils sustain garden

At Wiley Elementary International Magnet School in Raleigh, the kindergarten students serve snacks from their own vegetable garden when parents visit. During summer vacations, Principal Cecilia Rawlins says, she has plucked a few of their tomatoes herself. The school's curriculum promotes global citizenship and connections, so I doubt that the "kinder-gardeners" mind sharing their bounty.

Gardening helps connect the students to the larger picture. And judging by Wiley's beautiful courtyard garden -- as well as those principal-tempting tomatoes -- they already know plenty about sustainability. In fact, the entire student body learned about composting from some very educated people.

In 2001, third-grade teacher Kristen Argent (who now teaches at North Forest Pines Elementary) was teaching her Wiley students a science class on heat in which they learned how heat is generated when organic matter biodegrades. After learning about the positive effect composting has on the environment, they continued to research the subject and determined there was a need for a compost bin at the school.

They decided a three-chamber compost bin would suit the school's gardening needs, then worked with the administration, PTA and gardening/beautification committee to pay for the project. After building the bin -- with parents' help -- they taught composting classes to kindergarten through fifth grade. Everyone helped, and the rest of the school year, fruit and vegetables from the cafeteria and scraps from home were added to the compost bin.

The resulting gardens are proof that healthy, well-balanced soil is the key to a sustainable landscape. The courtyard garden contains annuals, roses, perennials and herbs and is not only lovely but also serves as a classroom for nature study, and classes about mapping and diagramming spaces.

A new Natural Learning Garden, coordinated by academically gifted specialist Sarah Palmer, is in progress. Palmer said, "We have parent and teacher collaborators, as well as the involvement of various community organizations, most notably, technical assistance from N.C. State University Natural Learning Initiative. Also, Duke Gardens, JC Raulston Arboretum, N.C. Botanical Garden and several area high schools' environmental science students."

With a focus on environmental sustainability, the Natural Learning Garden will include North Carolina native plants, perennials, xeriscaping, edible plants, butterfly and bird attracting plants, herbal and medicinal plants (including Native American), and a variety of soil types. It will support academic goals and also provide opportunities for interaction with the natural world.

Palmer said, "In the past decade, children's experiences with nature have been radically reduced and sanitized. Yet research shows that natural learning experiences contribute to physical health as well as having social and emotional benefits."

So, would you like to be as smart as a "kinder-gardener"? You can be, according to Palmer, "This is a garden for the community, as well as for Wiley -- everyone is welcome to help."