SCHOOL GARDENS PROGRAM
The Explore Ecology School Gardens Program connects children to nature and teaches them how to grow their own organic food using the garden as an outdoor classroom.
CURRENTLY SERVING
Growing Healthy Minds, Bodies, and Little Green Thumbs
- ABOUT
- LIST OF SCHOOLS
- GET INVOLVED
- GARDEN VIDEOS
- STORIES FROM THE GARDEN
- WORM FACTS
- WORM FEEDING & CARE
- DIY VERMICOMPOST
About
Our Garden Educators teach children how to grow food in 29 elementary schools throughout Santa Barbara County. Using the garden as an outdoor classroom, students learn about Planting, Cultivating, Harvesting, Composting, and Nutrition. Students in our School Gardens Program grow organic vegetables, healthy bodies, and lasting friendships.
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.
For over 25 years, Explore Ecology has been a vital force for garden education, providing schools and youth groups with on-site gardening and composting lessons, teacher trainings, garden consultations, and Garden Curriculum.
Contact Lindsay for more information.
- Adams
- Adelante
- Brandon
- Clarence Ruth
- Cleveland
- Community Academy
- El Camino
- Ellwood
- Foothill
- Franklin
- Goleta Family School
- Harding
- Hollister
- Isla Vista
- Kellogg
- La Canada
- La Colina
- Cumbre
- La Honda
- La Patera
- McKinley
- Monroe
- Mountain View
- Notre Dame
- Oak Valley
- Roosevelt
- Santa Ynez Elementary
- St. Rafael’s
- Washington
Get Involved
Do you love gardening? Explore Ecology’s School Gardens Program is looking for volunteers who have green thumbs, enjoy being outdoors, and like educating about growing organic food.
We offer volunteer work parties throughout the year at our participating school gardens in Santa Barbara County. We also need volunteers to adopt a school garden in the summer to make sure that our gardens continue to grow when school is out.
Explore Ecology’s School Gardens Program connects children to nature and teaches them how to grow their own organic food. Using the garden as an outdoor classroom, the School Gardens Program serves over 10,000 students per year at 30 local public elementary schools in seven school districts throughout Santa Barbara County.
Stories From the Garden
Welcome to Stories from the Garden, our new series of posts highlighting stories from Explore Ecology Garden Educators who work with children in 35 school gardens throughout Santa Barbara County. Every school day, our educators connect children to nature and teach them how to grow organic food using the garden as an outdoor classroom.
This post comes from Bennett Rock.
One day there was a shrill of excitement near the school garden orchard. A third grade student had discovered a monarch butterfly chrysalis hanging underneath the Fuyu Persimmon sign. The news spread faster than a baseball could be thrown. Soon a swarm of students were on the scene, howling with “oohh’s” and “aahh’s” of curiosity. It seemed to take every ounce of effort for them to not touch the delicate chrysalis. The students had just covered the stages of metamorphosis in science class and I was thrilled about the timing. At the same time, I questioned the fate of the pupa being so exposed and having so many anxious youngsters fighting back their curiosity and temptation. All the kids all knew about it and I was surprised each week to see it still hanging there.
Red Wiggler Worm Fact Sheet
GENERAL
- Common Name: Red Wiggler worms (also: Tiger worms, Manure worms)
- Scientific Name: Eisenia Foetida
BIOLOGY
- Worm Selection: Red Wigglers are the best worms for a small composting system because they are surface dwellers and do well in confined spaces.
- Lifespan: They can live up to 5 years, and eat half their body weight in 1 day!
- Eyes: They don’t have eyes, instead these worms have sensors on the top of their head that help them detect light. They like to live in cool, dark, damp places.
- Breathing: They use their skin to breath, rather than lungs like most animals. Worms need to stay moist to stay alive, that is why they are covered in mucus.
- Hearts: They have 5 hearts shaped like rings, which hug the space just behind their heads.
- Teeth: They don’t have teeth, instead they have a gizzard (like chickens!). A gizzard is a muscular sack behind the mouth where the worm can store small pieces of rocks and grit (such as egg shells) to help break up their food when they eat.
REPRODUCTION
- Maturation: It takes approximately 40-60 days for juvenile worms to develop into a mature worm.
- Mating: Red Wigglers are hermaphrodites, which means they can have both male and female reproductive organs, however they still need another worm to reproduce. Warmer temperatures encourage mating.
- Band: Adult worms have a small band around them called a clitellum. This moves along the length of the worm’s body toward the head, collecting fertilized eggs as it moves up. Eventually this will fall off and become the egg.
- Egg: Red Wiggler worms start out as an egg (also called cocoon), which can contain 4-6 baby worms! This will typically be the size of a grape seed. Incubation is approximately 23 days, and during this time the egg will change from yellow to deep red. The egg will hatch after 3-4 weeks.
- Frequency: Worms reproduce every 7-10 days if conditions are right, and can double their population in 2-3 months.
WORM CARE & FEEDING
-
Ideal Environment:
- 50-75 ⁰F
- Oxygen, drainage and darkness
- Moist paper
- Sand/grit
-
What They Can/Can’t Eat
YES
|
NO
|
Feeding Schedule
- Feed every 2-3 weeks
- If environment seems too wet, reduce feeding and add shredded newspaper
Build Your Own Vermicompost
Below are instructions on how to make your very own vermicompost. If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to us at Explore Ecology, we’re happy to help!
SUPPLIES
- 3-5 gallon opaque plastic bin
- Power drill
- Shredded newspaper
- Bowl of water
- Handful of grit/sand
- Food scraps
- ½ lb of worms
DIRECTIONS
- Take your power drill and drill holes in the rim of the plastic bin, about 2 inches apart. Make sure the holes are big enough to allow airflow!
- Rip newspaper lengthwise into small strips and soak in water for 5-10 minutes. Then add to bin and fill about ¾ full. Newspaper should be the wetness of a rung out sponge. This will be the bedding and water source for your worms!
- Add sand and food scraps to the wet newspaper and mix it a little with your hands. Once this is done, add your worms. Congratulations, you now have a working vermicompost bin!
TIPS
- If your worms seem like they are trying to escape or if your bin has a strong odor, make sure you are doing the following:
- Keeping the bin in a cool, dry place
- Not over-feeding the worms (adding food scraps 1-2 times per month is sufficient for a 3-5 gallon bin)
Check out the other information on our website to learn more about what you can/can’t feed your worms, and other tips and tricks to keeping your worms happy and healthy!
TAKE A LOOK!
Watch our video about our School Gardens Program.
Eva grew up in Berkeley, CA and is a recent graduate of UCSB, where she studied Aquatic Biology and German Language. During her undergrad, Eva worked as an aquarist at UCSB’s Research Experience and Education Facility (the REEF), where she managed the aquarium facility and found a love for science communication and conservation.
Phillip is a recent Westmont College graduate and a proud member of the inaugural class of Environmental Studies students from Westmont. Phillip is excited to be on the Explore Ecology teaching team because he loves to inspire others about nature as his mentors have done for him. 
Ellie Cotter is a recent graduate of UCSB who studied Environmental Studies with a minor in Philosophy. Ellie learned the importance of community based action, spending her years interning and volunteering for local groups, such as Coal Oil Point Reserve and North Campus Open Space. 
Joey is grateful to have grown up with an abundance of nature around him and is happiest in the water or in the sun. From a young age, Joey felt a responsibility to take care of the Earth in return for all the ways she has taken care of him. This led Joey to pursue a degree in Environmental Studies at UCSB where he furthered his knowledge of how different human societies have conceptualized and interacted with the natural world throughout history.
Rachel Palmer
Alyssa grew up on Long Island, New York and spent a lot of her childhood and early adulthood exploring the mountains, meadows, and beaches throughout the East Coast. These formative experiences in nature, along with impactful mentors and coursework in undergraduate and graduate school, inspired her to pursue a career connecting youth with the natural world. From the deciduous forests of New England to the shores of the Big Island of Hawaii, Alyssa has spent over 10 years working with youth of all ages on urban and rural farms, in school gardens, and in beautiful, wild places. Alyssa is passionate about facilitating meaningful experiences for youth that deepen their connections to self, community, and the land and she believes that school gardens are the perfect place to do this. 
Nicole is a mixed media artist and vintage goods specialist who has been managing Art from Scrap since 2020.
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.
I love coming to work and getting pets from everyone.
Ian Docktor
Emma Serr is an artist and student studying Studio Art at SBCC.
Lydia
Iliana Jacobo is a Garden Educator at three different school sites. Iliana has a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Sustainability and Social Justice and a minor in Ethnic Studies from San Francisco State University.
Lindsay Johnson
MELISSA BROOKS
Jenny joined Explore Ecology first as an Environmental Educator, then as a Program Coordinator, and most recently moved into the newly created Programs, People & Culture position. Prior to Explore Ecology Jenny worked in science research and consulting, however her passion has always been science education and outreach. Jenny loves all things related to the ocean, especially free diving, and enjoying the beauty and wonder that is the underwater world. Her greatest life passion is traveling, which she hopes to do more of again soon.
Lu’s love of all things Earth began at James Madison University in Virginia, where they got their Bachelor’s degree in Biology. Lu has a Master’s degree in Spatial Ecology- the study of how creatures interact across landscapes- from East Carolina University, where they studied rock pools along a river and the critters that dwell in them.
Luz developed a strong sense of devotion for working with diverse populations after studying Sociology at UCSB. Her background in social work includes case management for various non-profits, experience with trauma informed care, and developing/teaching curriculum for school garden education & art resiliency. 
Sarah is very passionate about being involved in the outdoors, as well as expressing creativity. She grew up in the Bay Area learning to garden with her mother and going hiking, camping, and backpacking with her family regularly. While gardening with her mother, she grew a deep connection with the processes of ecosystems and food production, so Sarah believes it can be incredibly beneficial for kids to get hands-on experience in nature. 
Sadie
Clare
Chloe grew up in nearby Ojai, CA, which helped shape her passion for living a green lifestyle and conserving wildlife. 
Aimee moved to Santa Barbara from Asheville, North Carolina. She grew up visiting her Grandma in Ojai and wanted to take the opportunity to be closer to her. By lucky accident, she has also found that she is in love with beautiful Santa Barbara! Aimee’s background prior to her Garden Educator position was in Animal Agriculture and she had a layman’s interest in keeping a garden. The Central Coast is a completely different ball game as far as growing produce and she has greatly enjoyed the challenge, as well as taking every opportunity to grow and learn with her students. She loves giving students opportunities to grow lots of food that is delicious right off the plant, as well as learning about the entire ecosystem of their school gardens. She hopes her teaching feels student-led and informed. 
Angie was born and raised in Santa Barbara. She studied Psychology at San Diego State and was a social worker in San Francisco for five years before she discovered her love of growing food. Angie learned how to grow vegetables with the Green Urban Lunch Box in Salt Lake City and then moved back to the Bay Area to start farming. 