Support School Gardens at Our Farm to Table Event
Show your support for school gardens on Saturday, April 25, from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm at the Organic Farm to Table Fundraiser for Explore Ecology’s School Gardens Program. Join us for an afternoon of fun and education! The event features a seasonal menu with delicious locally grown organic food, live music, and farm tours.
Guests will learn about our School Gardens Program, meet our Garden Educators and Director, and hear about volunteering opportunities in the gardens. To see a short video about the program, click here.
The Explore Ecology School Gardens Program connects kids 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 8,000 students per year in 35 local public elementary schools throughout Santa Barbara County.
Your support will help our organization continue to make an impact and ensure that all children in Santa Barbara County have access to a garden. See you on the farm!
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