Since our Garden Summer Camp finished-up in August, we have been working with the Ecology Clubs at Middleton High School and the Clark Street Community School to keep students involved in garden and sustainability education. These groups helped us prepare the garden and youth farm for the winter, learned how to construct a light table to grow plants indoors year-round, and participated in conversation about our food system.
In preparation for the holidays, we are focusing now on the issue of reusing resources instead of throwing them away. With both Ecology Clubs, we are watching a film called Waste Land, which explores the lives of people who live off of picking recyclable materials out of the world’s largest garbage dump in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In the film, they collaborate with artist Vik Muniz to create stunning photographic images of themselves created from garbage. This is inspiring the students to create their own reused art pieces! This week, we are making wrapping paper out of newspaper and paper bags and using found objects to make prints on it.
The Middleton High School Ecology Club is also organizing a rummage sale. Everyone from the school is invited to donate any clothes or household items that they don’t want, and then the students will sell everything for $1 during lunch hours the week before winter break. We hope that students will be able to find some reused holiday gifts!
This week, Natalie and I also found out that we won one of the Metcalfe’s School Garden Leader Awards. We were really touched to be nominated for this award by three teachers and community members who have seen our work. We are excited to have the opportunity to share the goals of our program with a wider audience when we accept the award at the Badger Bioneers Conference next week!
Wishing you a happy end of the year!
Gabrielle
Growing Food and Sustainability 