2021-Worldmind School- Harvest at Observatory Park with Grow Local Colorado

Start Date-End Date: 09/29/2021-09/29/2021 Land Manager Office: City and County of Denver - Parks and Recreation Land Manager Contact: Barbara Masoner Funding Partner: Programmatic Partner: Grow Local Colorado Summary: Students from Worldmind Nature Immersion School will harvest the Observatory Park Community Vegetable Garden. Description: About the Stewardship Site The beautiful and Observatory Park, home to the University of Denver's (DU) historic Chamberlin Observatory, is a small yet spacious park tucked out of sight just east of the DU campus. In addition to the landmark Observatory which occasionally hosts public events, the park features century-old trees, an extensive playground area, and vast open fields perfect for picnicking or a pickup game of Frisbee. About the Volunteer Experience Small student groups will rotate through three experience stations. Education Station: Here, the students will learn about why we picked certain plants for this garden; why some plants grow better close together; how some plants help provide a natural animal and insect repellant; a more! Gardening Station: Students will have the chance to get their hands dirty when they prep and plant their segment of the Observatory Garden plot with everything from seeds to seedlings. Crafting Station: Students will have the chance to decorate a pot of their own, and pick what type of seedling they would like to try to grow at home. About the Overall Impact The produce that students will plant will mature in the fall, and at that time be donated to local organizations including food banks, homeless shelters, and families in need. Further, by growing food locally, we reduce our carbon footprint (food isn't transported thousands of miles), minimize water use, decrease soil erosion, and help develop a sustainable community. Latitude/Longitude: 39.7345542, -104.988121 Additional Information: Camping Available: No Physical Difficulty: Easy High Altitude Project: No Desired Number of Volunteers: 20 Total Adult Volunteers Attended: 5 Total Youth Volunteers Attended: 20 Total Volunteer Days: Total Unique Volunteers: 25 Total Volunteer Hours: 75 Staff Hours: 10 Stipend Hours: 0 Project Summary: On Wednesday, June 2nd 20 elementary students from Worldmind Nature Immersion School came out to Observatory Park with VOC and Grow Local Colorado to help plant seeds and starter plants for the growing season. The students made quick work of the 250 square foot garden, planting a variety of veggies including (but not limited to) basil, kale, collards, lettuce, beans, and carrots, which will all be donated to a nearby food pantry. This garden is estimated to produce close to 150 lbs of food this season. Along with the planting, students painted terracotta pots and planted seeds of their own to take home, they also participated in education about the needs of plants and why these gardens are important. Successes and Challenges: Due to the large size of the group, and this being our smallest garden plot that we work on, we had to get creative with how we rotated the students through the garden. See the outline of the day below. I (Taylor) had to report to jury duty in the morning, so was late to the project- but Kate took over the start and helped throughout the project. Lessons Learned: Special Notes: Small student groups will rotate through three experience stations. Education Station:Here, the students will learn about why we picked certain plants for this garden; why some plants grow better close together; how some plants help provide a natural animal and insect repellant; a more! Gardening Station:Students will have the chance to get their hands dirty when they prep and plant their segment of the Observatory Garden plot with everything from seeds to seedlings. Crafting Station:Students will have the chance to decorate a pot of their own, and pick what type of seedling they would like to try to grow at home. VOC could use Worldmind's support in managing/supervising this station. VOC will provide all the necessary supplies. VOC and Grow Local (GL) will arrive at the garden plot around 12:00 pm to prep and unload supplies. Worldmind Students will join us over near the garden between 12:50 and 1:00pm . 1:00-1:15 Ice Breaker and Introduction to VOC and GL 1:15-1:20Break into three groups (predetermined by Worldmind)and head over to first stations 1:20-1:50 First Rotation: Group A- Education, Group B- Gardening,Group C- Crafting 1:50-1:55 Transition Time 1:55- 2:25 Second Rotation: Group A- Gardening,Group B- Crafting, Group C- Education 2:25-2:45 Snack and bathroom time 2:45-3:15 Third Rotation:Group A- Crafting,Group B- Education, Group C- Gardening 3:15-3:30 Full group debrief and group photo at the garden. 3:30 Students Depart *The sections in bold are led and supervised by VOC and GL Stewardship Education: Plants Are Needy Description: Students will learn about the needs of plants and the nutrients they require for healthy growth. They will compare factors in plant developments that can't be controlled (weather, pests, and beneficial insects) and can be controlled (water, nutrients in soil, sunlight). They will apply what they learn about plants to factors that affect their health and discuss controllable and uncontrollable factors in their lives. Background: Plants need water, soil, nutrients, and sunlight to grow. When plants are exposed to pests, disease, or negative human impact, they don't grow well. There are things that we can and can't control in the garden. Like plants, humans need things like water, food, rest and exercise to grow healthy bodies. Some factors, such as genetics, can affect health but can't be controlled. This lesson will show students a connection between plant health and human health. Activity: Gather your students in a central spot and explain to them that there are things that can be "controlled" and "can not be controlled." Use these examples: your stomach growls and you control it by eating; you want to play soccer on the playground, but it's nighttime (uncontrollable), etc. Have students brainstorm more examples. Ask students what things can be controlled when growing plants (water, planting certain plants together, adding compost, weeding, pruning, etc.) Then ask what things can go wrong in the garden (pests, weather, sunlight, disease). Explain those things "cannot be controlled". Read out some of the below scenarios that might happen in a garden, have the students decide if the scenario can be controlled or not controlled. Garden Scenarios A lot of water is around you. Your sunshine is blocked by a taller plant. You don't have any water and you're shriveling up. Your roots are exposed out of the soil. Aphids are all over you. A leaf disease is attacking you. Your growing space is too crowded. Squirrels love to eat your fruit. A basketball keeps landing on you when kids miss the basket. You're too heavy at the top of the plant and your roots can't hold you up. It's going to freeze overnight - and that means you could freeze and die. Bunnies are nibbling your leaves. Squash bugs are on you. Ladybugs are eating aphids off of you. The sprinkler doesn't reach you when it waters. It's getting hot in the summer and you don't thrive in the heat. A tree limb falls on you and breaks your stem. Hail crushed your stalk and you're broken near the soil. Tying it Together: 1. What did you learn about factors that can impact plant growth? There are things that we can control in plant growth and things that we can't. 2. What things can be controlled? Water, soil, compost 3. What can't be controlled? Weather, pests, plant diseases Expanding into Community Explain to students that like plants, controllable and uncontrollable factors affect our health. When we control these factors, out bodies can stay healthy and strong. Ask them what some controllable factors might be? What about some uncontrollable? Examples of controllable factors they might give: Eating a healthy diet, that includes fruits and vegetables, being physically active, etc. Examples of uncontrollable factors: age, genetics, where you live (if you are a kid and have no say) Ask students if they know that 1 in 10 people in Colorado face hunger, and many of those people live in what are known as "food deserts". Try to get students to describe what they think a food desert might be?. Food Deserts are areas that are not within close distance to a grocery store, which means that people in that neighborhood do not always have easy access to fresh, healthy food items. Do they think that getting to eat enough fruits and vegetables every day is a controllable or uncontrollable factor for everyone? (No.) If no, why not? (Some people do not know what they should eat, others do not have access to the right foods because of their location or lack of money.) Could we use our garden to provide fruits and vegetables for us and for people who do not have enough? (Yes.) Key Concerns or Comments from Staff or Volunteers: Description of Accidents/Incidents: Description of Work Completed: