The Outdoor Classroom

When the garden was first being planned to be a shared green space for the school and the community, having a place to gather in the garden with seating was a priority.  It is important for teachers to have a place to host their classroom outside, an outdoor alternative that could be used for literature circles, journal writing, dramatic performances, poetry reading, etc.  After school and on weekends, it could be a place for the community to use.

With guidance from Robert Redecker of Earthworks Natural Building, the outdoor classroom was designed with urbanite (recycled concrete) as a base and capped with cob ( a natural building medium made of straw, clay and sand).  This year long project is nearly done.  Come join us Saturday, February 9, as we work together to finish it.

The Garden is Alive with Activity!

Finally, we have our first community garden plots happening.  While waiting for all the materials for the final build of the community garden, the Emerson Avenue Community Garden Club is allowing community members who have demonstrated a commitment of time and labor through volunteering to grow in temporary plots this winter and spring.  Come see what is growing!

We just marked our 3rd annual Martin Luther King Day of Service in the garden on Monday, January 21.  Thank you community members, students and families who came out to help the garden.  OW students mulched and  planted wild flower seeds in the student garden.

While garden club continues Friday during lunch for OW students, Ms. Cohen is working with the YS program to offer a garden enrichment program for students after school on Fridays .  Students will have an opportunity to design their garden beds, learn different planting methods and participate in workshops with guest speakers on worm composting, native plants, bird and tree identification and enjoy fun projects to use all this great learning.  

Wright from the Garden to the Kitchen

Last year, the Room 54 Writers published a cookbook with recipes based on what they grew in the student garden.  Both an eighth grade and sixth grade Language Arts class participated with the eighth graders heading the publishing committee and mentoring the sixth graders.  Click on the following link and preview the book:
http://www.blurb.com/b/3929928-wright-from-the-garden-to-the-kitchen

Saying goodbye to a true garden friend

Anyone who has worked in the garden in the last year, probably has had the good fortune of meeting 7th grader, Michael Ferro.  He has been an active member of the Orville Wright Middle School Garden Club, helped build the Emerson Avenue Community Garden 4th of July float and was the impetus and co-constructor of the Little Free Library in the garden.  Throughout the summer, Michael would bike over to the garden to work on building the library box.  He would show up many times on his own to help out on our community workdays.  He had a strong work ethic and commitment to the garden.  Michael and his family are moving to Ohio in December.  The garden sent him off with a cake.

Michael, the garden community wishes you well in your new home in Ohio.  We will greatly miss you!

Building and Growing...

On Saturday, November 15, community members and LMU students helped till, amend and mark off our new pilot plots for the community garden.  While we are pursuing funding for our beautiful garden plan, we will begin to grow food together this winter.

Our interim pilot plots

On our last community workday on November 3, we made some progress building the Outdoor Classroom.  OWMS parent Felix Martinez mentored us in masonry.

The Emerson Avenue Community Garden's First Annual Fall Festival

On Saturday, October 13 in the Community Garden, we had our first Fall Festival.  It was filled with fun, games, pumpkins, and prizes.  Even though it started out slow, as time passed more people came and it was a great turn out.  We had deliciously scary treats, face painting, tattoos, and a craft table.  We had toss games, skill games and walking and jumping games.  We also had a beautiful pumpkin patch with scarecrows.  We had the best ever 1st Annual Fall Festival ever.  I hope I can come next year in 9th grade.
By Dalicia Cheatham
8th Grade OW student

College Days in the Garden

On Saturday, September 22, LMU  freshman came to The Emerson Avenue Community and Student Garden and helped tend and weed the garden.  They learned about the garden project and our school and ways that they could volunteer.

On Tuesday, September 25, UCLA came with nearly 100 freshman students to work in the garden with Orville Wright students and connect them with their greater Los Angeles community.

On Tuesday, October 16, LMU returned to our garden for Greek Week, bringing nearly 300 students to help weed, prepare beds for winter plantings and paint picnic benches.