Tag Archives: garden ambassadors

Whole Foods Market said “yes”

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Senior garden ambassadors met me before school to play with these two gadgets:

Hand-cranked apple peeler, corer and slicer

Dehydrator

We cut apples, dehydrated them all day, and served them at the Taste Test cart at lunch.

Ambassadors get off the bus and work with me until the bell rings

And soon, this whole process is going to be much, much better. You can see that we are prepping the food at the lunch tables.  Do-able but pretty inconvenient.  No table or electric outlet or sink to rinse fruit and veggies.

A while back Susi and I sent a grant proposal to Whole Foods Market, asking for an outdoor “kitchen island” to prep garden produce.  After obsessively checking their website for months we found out this past summer that we won the money!  It’s going to be built soon, so once again, I will show you the “before” shot so you can appreciate it when it goes in.  This is probably the last unimproved piece of real estate in the garden!

Wanted: new crop of Garden Ambassadors

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At the beginning of the school year, I visit the fifth grade class, give a pitch for Garden Ambassadors and pass out applications.  This week I conduct interviews.  The returning (sixth grade) senior garden ambassadors have already been chosen, and today two of them spent part of their lunch to help me water and harvest for tomorrow’s lesson.

The application asks three questions.  Naturally all of the students wrote about having good character, demonstrating leadership qualities and being interested in all aspects of gardening.  Here’s a few of my favorite lines from this year’s application.

What do you think are good qualities for a Garden Ambassador to have?

Good qualities for a Garden Ambassador are respect, motivation, and an open heart.

I think some good qualities for a Garden Ambassador to have are being willing to get their hands dirty.

Knowing how to decipher weeds from produce!

I think good qualities to have are a good memory and a helpful soul.

Good listening and you can’t mess around! When you’re talking to a guest, don’t mumble and talk clearly.  Last year I created the Green Team and really enjoyed being a leader!

Why would you like to serve as a Garden Ambassador?

Because I think our garden is beautiful and I want to be a part of it!

This would teach me how to plant my own garden.  It would make me so happy if I were chosen!

I am interested in different plant species and how wonderful they look and what they do for our ecosystem.

I remember seeing the Senior Garden Ambassadors and saying I want to do that, and now look, I might!

I’d like to serve as a garden ambassador because I believe we don’t grow the garden, it grows us.   (I’d also love to play my violin in the garden to welcome special guests.)

I see it as an art form.  A blank canvas waiting to be painted.

I want to do it to inspire the younger kids to become Garden Ambassadors. 

What do you think you could learn from serving as a Garden Ambassador?

I could learn how to talk to the public or give a speech without being shy or nervous.

And finally, an addendum to one of the applications (I could clean out the gazebo if you were having guests):

95% of students report “yum” on kale

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Our garden ambassadors periodically cook/prepare garden produce and host a “taste test” during the 10:15 recess at this adorable cart:

Thank you Kymm for repurposing this old AV cart we found in the storage barn!

Today we tackled kale—considered by many to be the most nutritious vegetable to eat.  It also seems to grow effortlessly and abundantly—here’s some plants grown from seed by our PLUS team (junior high leadership).

Kale framed by yellow snapdragons

Kale can also be perceived as hard to eat.  To introduce it to our kids in a positive way, the ambassadors met before school to blend up smoothies with kale, apple juice, bananas, celery and fresh lemon juice.  Kids lined up for a taste, and the girls recorded a “yum” or “yuck” rating.

I love this idea because it introduces kids to new foods and flavors, all in the fun of a recess “taste test.”  One girl lingered for a few minutes before getting up the nerve to down her ounce of green smoothie—once she did, she asked for the recipe so her grandmother could make her more.  Some kids got back in line and begged for seconds.  Another little girl said she wished we had it every snack recess.  Teachers came out to taste test too!

Mrs. Younce gives kale smoothie an enthusiastic “thumbs up”!

Garden ambassadors, tour guides, rock stars

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Another responsibility of our fifth and sixth grade Garden Ambassadors is to give tours.  I work with them on the how’s (shaking hands, making eye contact, friendly smiles) and the what’s (correct and succinct information, good stories, personal anecdotes) of being a good tour guide.  Throughout the year, when we have a guest on campus interested in seeing the garden, one of the ambassadors will be tapped to give the tour.  Last week an ambassador gave a tour to a pediatrician on campus for the day; another one recently spent her recess giving a tour to a group of parents visiting from a San Diego school.

Today all ten of them were “on.”  Our school celebrated Global Youth Service Day by holding a short open house to showcase to the wider community our service learning projects.  Garden Ambassadors also gave garden tours.  The last two weeks we have had three “working lunches” to prepare. The students spread out at “stations,” introducing themselves and talking about their section of the garden to each visitor that approached.

They were smart, poised and welcoming, and I was incredibly impressed, once again, by the level of leadership to which kids can rise when given the chance. (The seriousness with which they take their job is charming too!)  I was very proud of them, and I was also reminded of how much joy I derive from working with kids in gardens.

Tour guides in action, sporting offical yellow (5th) and green (6th) ambassador shirts

Ambassador talking to the local press

ESK manages the "honor herb" garden---take a handful of herbs for a quarter

"Early Start Kindergarten" (ESK) does worm composting in their classroom

First grade manages the "Boxtops" program which raises money for the garden

The K/1 classroom looks after the butterfly garden

Third graders are in charge of lunchtime composting

Monday morning garden report

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Two years ago I started a program called Garden Ambassadors.  Fifth grade and sixth grade students apply at the beginning of the school year, with a written application and interview, to be garden representatives.  All year long they receive special training from me as they assume certain leadership responsibilities related to the school garden.

One of their jobs is giving the “Monday Morning Garden Report.” Every Monday morning one of our principals welcomes children back to school on the school-wide intercom and goes over relevant information for the week.  Then the garden ambassador takes the mic (phone):

Here is this week’s report:

Good morning!  My name is Ethan, and I am a sixth grade garden ambassador.

Spring has come to the garden.  The table has a fresh coat of stain, the tulips are blooming and new plantings are going in.  In the habitat garden, there is newly planted lavender, monkey flower, butterfly weed and germander—all plants that attract butterflies.  Along the riverbed are also three new, native plants:  deer grass, mountain savory and “blue pozo” sage.  You might also notice the wildflowers are starting to come up in Mrs. Dawson’s bed too.  Finally, some strawberries were transplanted to the left of the pergola.

Thank you for observing the “caution tape” at the far end of the garden.  This space is being readied for a beautiful gate being created by the world-renowned artist James Hubbell. 

That’s all for now!  See you in the garden!