Submitted by parent volunteer, Holly Johnson, Pownal Elementary School Garden Club
This spring, twelve students from grades 1 through 3 participated in a revamped, six-week Garden Club program. While past clubs focused primarily on flowers, this year we shifted our attention toward the fascinating world of agriculture. As a parent volunteer, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the result was an incredible journey of discovery for the students and myself alike.
Our weekly sessions were designed to be hands-on, with one-third of our time dedicated to lessons and two-thirds spent getting our hands dirty. Given that agriculture is such a vital part of Maine’s economy, we kicked off the program by focusing on potatoes. We used food-safe buckets to conduct experiments with various soil types and fertilizers to see how they impacted growth.
The curriculum covered a wide range of practical and scientific topics:
- Seed Germination: In addition to planting vegetable sprouts, students created “egg crate greenhouses” to germinate their own seeds. We discussed the cost benefits of starting plants from scratch versus buying them from a store.
- Recycling and Pollinators: We made seed paper from recycled paper pulp and wildflowers to plant at home. We also learned about the essential role of pollinators and built two types of pollinator houses to install around the school grounds.
- Worm Farming: We launched a pilot program with 500 red wiggler worms. By the end of the six weeks, the population had doubled. The kids learned firsthand about soil aeration and the value of using worm castings as natural fertilizer.
- Advanced Science: I was incredibly impressed by the students’ ability to retain technical concepts. We studied the water cycle and photosynthesis; hearing a second grader confidently discuss “stomatas” was a true highlight of the program!
- Experiments: While we missed the seasonal window for grafting, we pivoted to an air-rooting experiment on one of the school’s apple trees to explore different ways plants can reproduce.
Throughout the six weeks, the kids took full ownership of the garden by weeding, watering, and mulching. Our group was an even split of boys and girls with a wide range of personalities and experience levels. This diversity created a unique learning environment where every question led to a new discovery.
I am so proud of what these twelve students accomplished. I think I may have learned just as much as they did while researching answers to their great questions, and I truly believe everyone walked away with a deeper appreciation for how things grow.
