Since the 2021-22 school year Falcon Academy, the Westbrook Middle School alternative education program, has been working on a garden project. Our first year kicked off with the Falcon Academy students building 7 raised garden beds, provided by donations from Hillside Lumber, and filling them with compost that was provided by Knight Property Services. We were able to get about 20 students working in the garden that first year.
In our second year we expanded the garden to 15 raised beds and incorporated a composting program. Our garden beds were again built with support from Hillside Lumber and Knight Property Services. We also got generous support from Fedco with donations of seeds and garden tools as well as Johnny’s Selected Seeds who donated seeds. The Falcon Academy Group prepared an area for the planting of an orchard the following fall. 5th Grade classes planted in the garden in the spring of 2022, incorporating scientific method lessons and social studies lessons related to the Wabanaki. Our FLS classroom also planted in one of the raised beds. There were about 130 students that had engagement in the garden in the second year.
In our current year we have brought food we grew into the cafeteria. We harvested potatoes that were grown over the summer as well as lettuces that were grown in the fall after students returned to school. Returning 6th graders that had worked in the garden as 5th graders were able to get back into the garden in the fall to complete the science experiments that they had started the year before. 6th grade science classes also utilized the garden space for learning about metric measurements. Many students were involved in the planting of our orchard that consists of 10 apple trees and 10 pear trees. This day of planting trees also included plant and soil ecology lessons. There were about 100 students involved in the planting of the orchard throughout the day. The orchard and lettuces that were harvested this year were provided through grants with ReTreeUS and the Arbor Day Foundation. An educator from the Wild Seed Project has been visiting to engage in local ecology lessons with all of the 8th grade science classes, Falcon Academy, as well as two of our self-contained classes. The Wild Seed Project has collaborated with teachers to ensure that the lessons and activities align with the educational standards that they are engaged in. A guest educator will be joining all of the 7th grade science classes this week to teach about worm composting as we prepare to engage in a school wide worm composting program. This guest educator has also worked with staff to ensure they are hitting important educational standards that align with the current lessons going on in 7th grade science. At the halfway point of the year we have had no fewer than 300 students engaged in the garden, Wild Seed Project, or worm composting.
Thank you to Austin Mehlhorn, Claton Conrad, Sam Johnson and Mary Ellen Johnson for all your hard work with our students on this wonderful project!