Explore Ecology School Gardens Will Flourish- Thank You, Garden Club of Santa Barbara
Research shows that children who grow their own food tend to eat more fruits and vegetables, have a greater understanding of ecology, and receive higher test scores in science. School gardens are more important than ever and thanks to the Garden Club of Santa Barbara, Explore Ecology’s School Gardens Program will continue to grow.
Happy Gardeners!
Explore Ecology has been awarded a $12,250 grant from the Garden Club of Santa Barbara to support irrigation updates and training in thirty school gardens. With current drought conditions, efficient irrigation systems have never been more important. The grant ensures that the Explore Ecology School Gardens Program can continue to provide students the opportunity to receive outdoor education in well-tended, beautiful school gardens.
School Garden
The Explore Ecology School Gardens Program currently serves approximately 10,000 elementary age students in 30 schools. Fourteen Garden Educators teach lessons in each garden about composting, organic gardening, nutrition, healthy food choices, and science.
The Garden Club of Santa Barbara has supported school gardens since the early 1900’s. One of their first projects in 1917 was to donate seeds to schools. Explore Ecology is the only project they have supported on an annual basis since early 2000.
Some Members of the Garden Club
For 25 years, Explore Ecology has been a vital force for garden education. We appreciate the Garden Club of Santa Barbara and say thank you on behalf of all the children who will be working, learning, and playing in our school gardens!
Josh was born and raised in Santa Barbara, where his passion and curiosity for the environment began and has continued to grow. During his undergraduate studies, Josh pursued this interest at the University of California at Santa Cruz, receiving a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Studies.
Melissa Dodos developed her passion for creative reuse as a mother of four and elementary educator over the past 25 years. She loves to inspire creativity by connecting people with resources and ideas.
Veronica grew up in San Diego and spent four years in San Luis Obispo studying Animal Science at Cal Poly. As an undergrad she learned lots about livestock, agriculture, and wildlife.
Stephanie began her journey as an educator over twenty years ago working as a preschool teacher in Washington state for a cooperative preschool program affiliated with Whatcom Community College. She loved observing the wonder and curiosity of the children and bringing them out into nature to explore the natural world. She continued her love for learning and got her teaching license and then her Montessori certification and worked as an elementary teacher in Tribal, Public, and Montessori schools. She collaborated to create a school garden and her students loved it so much that it became a special place where they could garden, read, explore, play, and it provided a safe sanctuary for students to calm down and reset when they were having difficult moments.
Morgan’s mermaid soul is always seeking adventure—swimming a relay across the Santa Barbara Channel and taking the first photo of a newborn orca off Anacapa Island being standout experiences close to home.
Lindsay Johnson