Garden Educators Receive AINA In Schools Curriculum Training
Explore Ecology Garden Educators were treated to a wonderful curriculum training in October. Summer Maunakea and Kelly Perry from the Kokua Hawaii Foundation led our staff in a hands on, interactive training in the AINA in Schools Curriculum currently used in 19 school gardens across Oahu, Hawaii. This was the first AINA In Schools Curriculum Training for Educators outside of Hawaii.
Topics covered included making Bokashi (a traditional Korean food scrap fermentation process), 3rd grade compost lessons, and making and eating a delicious Three Sisters Stew with garden grown green beans, corn, and squash.
All of us here at Explore Ecology are grateful to Summer, Kelly, and the rest of the Kokua Hawaii and Johnson Ohana Foundation team for their ongoing support in helping us connect local students to their environment and their food.
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
I would love support with my school garden at Vieja Valley School.
I have a garden area, raised boxes, ready to go…need help to take small groups out for garden lessons.