Sustainable Garden Program
Our sustainable biodynamic garden is a working, living project that promotes environmental stewardship and allows students to grow their own organic food while exploring nature through inquiry based learning and engaging in hands-on experiences. Students work the soil, build compost, plant, harvest, and prepare food. Repeating this work over years provides insight into the rhythm of nature and seasons.
The Bio-Dynamic Garden and the Sustainability Arts Program at the Syringa Mountain School trains future emerald thumbs in the science and art of growing food and developing skills of self-sufficiency. Bio-Dynamic gardening and the skills associated with sustainable living offer a practical and engaging educational experience that is life-skill focused through a depth of curriculum and the uniquely inspired learning laboratory that nature provides.
Students connect with cultural rituals that have provided sustenance for humans across the ages:
- Plant and grow food for our farm to lunch school program and for the local farmer’s market
- Compost materials from the garden and our school usage
- Utilize rain water and optimal sun position to maintain our garden
- Celebrate our harvest and share our skills with the community
- Learn cooking and preservation skills with our bounty
The gardens are a fundamental part of our curriculum that is guided by the Core Principles of Public Waldorf Education. With the help of our school, parent volunteers, and surrounding community our garden has sprouted from concept to a fully functioning flower, herb, and vegetable garden.
Growth Of Our Program – Community Outreach
Our larger vision including several more growing gardens as well as a greenhouse that will one day provide a sustainable garden to school-lunch program for our students and beyond.
- Offer community garden workshops, cooking classes, and healthy lifestyle classes to our community.
- Offer a community garden food program for those in need to receive free bounty.
- Offer our space to the community to learn and grow using our resources.
- Offer a meals scholarship program for food delivery for healthy, free meals to those in need.
- Offer Summer Garden Camp program to community families.