Tuesday, April 27, 2010
King Open Garden Committee Notes, April 26th
King Open Garden Committee Notes
April 26, 2010
Attendance: Giulia Fulci (parent), Mitch Ryerson (parent), Alice Gugelmann and Francey Slater (CitySprouts)
Agenda:
1) Update on COGDesign
2) Workday on June 12
3) Intern applications are out
4) Review of teacher surveys
5) Funding possibilities
6) Possible plant sale, other KO garden event?
Next meeting: Monday, June 14, 7pm, KO library
1. Update on COG Design process
Mitch and Alice met with Lucia from COG Design on April 15th. She was enthusiastic about the project, asked many questions about CitySprouts and the use of the KO garden space, and explained how COG works. A central part of their work is ensuring that their designs are implemented, which means they'll have a big incentive to work within our budget constraints. Turns out they did a very similar project at Mitchell School in Needham, she'll send us pictures (see next blog posts).
Next steps:
We'll meet again in about a month or so, she'll have paperwork for us for the formal application process. After that she'll match us with a designer, and we'll work with that person from then on.
In addition to compiling the teacher surveys, CitySprouts and King Open need to think about what requirements we have of the space to fulfill the program's goals, as this will be central to working with the designer.
Also, we need to clarify who the formal client will be: Tim the principal? Or CitySprouts? She suggested the principal would be needed to do the final sign-off. In addition, who will pay the application fee?
2. Workday on June 12th
A group called People Making a Difference (PMD) will be at KO in the morning to do general tidying, building, weeding, and anything else needed to make the garden look beautiful.
3. CitySprouts Summer Internship applications are out: check the library if you or your student would like one. Due back May 21st!
4. Teacher surveys are back. An intern from CitySprouts compiled them, the results are in the next blog post).
5. Funding possibilities
In thinking about the garden redesign, we need to think of funding sources. Armed with an attractive and professional plan, we could have good success with different local and national funders. Whole Foods and Harvest Coop were a couple possibilities that were raised. Information from Jesse Wenning (parent): Lowes has two application cycles/year--one closed in February, and it looks like the next is October. We have to apply for between $2,000 and 5,000. The project to improve the KO garden seems like it would fit their criteria very well.
In addition, here is a list of potential grantors:
www.kidsgardening.org/grants.asp
www.captainplanetfdn.org/grants.html
www.csgn.org/page.php?id=30 (many for CA only, but some national)
http://assoc.garden.org/grants/
6. Plant sale this year, or other end of semester event?
A couple of years ago, Carla Procaskey and the “Sprouts of Hope” girls group organized a very successful plant sale fundraiser. Should we think about something similar, perhaps around graduation weekend? We could have food, plants, and general garden activities to draw more people into the garden during the festivities. We can start organizing through email.
Action List:
Alice: check with Neusa (family liaison) about scheduled events during the end of the semester, see if we can fit something garden related in
Continue to work with KO teachers to work the garden into existing curriculum
CitySprouts: Fill out COG Design application, get the process started, with advice from parents and teachers
Everyone else: start looking at funding opportunities!
Next meeting: June 14th, 7pm
Friday, April 16, 2010
First Planting in the Garden
April 12th began a week of planting in all the schools. Mostly early vegetables: snow and snap peas, radishes, lettuce, carrots, beets, Asian greens... We had gardeners from K-6th to help out with bed prep, planting, and scavenger hunts.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
First Garden Committee Meeting
King Open Garden Committee Meeting Notes
2/1/10
Attendence: Jessie Wenning (parent), Mitch Ryerson (parent), Carla Procaskey(community member), Jane Hirshci (CitySprouts), Francey Slater (CitySprouts)
Physical Garden Update:
- Jane has initiated conversations with DPW & Parks and Rec (Dana Hamm, Donald Downs, Kelly Writer) and connected with Dave Lefcourt (arborist) who began initial pruning of big apple tree
- goal is to establish maintenance schedule with DPW for mowing, pruning, leaf removal
CitySprouts Program Updates
- Sustainability is primary goal
- partnership with Science Department (writing garden lessons into existing curriculum & doing teacher training around these units – this is a new initiative and will be piloted this spring at Peabody and Amigos schools)
- CitySprouts Starts: new expansion initiative into Boston Schools and beyond; support and training in schools beyond Cambridge; distill essence of CitySprouts to services we can provide over a secific period of time (i.e. Consulting).
Questions and Discussion Points
- Design of the KO garden: now it is a bit haphazard and wild around the edges
- Goal is to strike a balance between planned areas and natural/funky areas/retain essence of the garden while incorporating order and sense that the space is cared for.
- Options for bed borders will set the tone for the garden – 1”x6” boards, brick, stone, black locust logs,
- building a patio that can serve as a meeting area for classes
- important factors: consistency of design, natural space, engaging and welcoming to adults and children, professional element of design
- Consider working with a designer, Rob Steck, Cynthia Smith at Halvorson Design Partnership (http://www.halvorsondesign.com/), approaching Harvard Grad School of Design for student collaboration
- CitySprouts can offer advise on designing with kids in mind, requirements for different crops, teacher use of garden
- Involving kids and teachers in design and building of garden (i.e. Kelly)
Next Steps:
- Before our next meeting (Feb. 24 at 7pm in the King Open Library) people should start looking for design ideas, specifically images that can be shared with group (print or email).
- Check out Boston Schoolyard Initiative Photos for inspriation: http://gallery.mac.com/schoolyards
- Look at www.kidsgardening.org for funding resources as well as activity and project ideas
2/1/10
Attendence: Jessie Wenning (parent), Mitch Ryerson (parent), Carla Procaskey(community member), Jane Hirshci (CitySprouts), Francey Slater (CitySprouts)
Physical Garden Update:
- Jane has initiated conversations with DPW & Parks and Rec (Dana Hamm, Donald Downs, Kelly Writer) and connected with Dave Lefcourt (arborist) who began initial pruning of big apple tree
- goal is to establish maintenance schedule with DPW for mowing, pruning, leaf removal
CitySprouts Program Updates
- Sustainability is primary goal
- partnership with Science Department (writing garden lessons into existing curriculum & doing teacher training around these units – this is a new initiative and will be piloted this spring at Peabody and Amigos schools)
- CitySprouts Starts: new expansion initiative into Boston Schools and beyond; support and training in schools beyond Cambridge; distill essence of CitySprouts to services we can provide over a secific period of time (i.e. Consulting).
Questions and Discussion Points
- Design of the KO garden: now it is a bit haphazard and wild around the edges
- Goal is to strike a balance between planned areas and natural/funky areas/retain essence of the garden while incorporating order and sense that the space is cared for.
- Options for bed borders will set the tone for the garden – 1”x6” boards, brick, stone, black locust logs,
- building a patio that can serve as a meeting area for classes
- important factors: consistency of design, natural space, engaging and welcoming to adults and children, professional element of design
- Consider working with a designer, Rob Steck, Cynthia Smith at Halvorson Design Partnership (http://www.halvorsondesign.com/), approaching Harvard Grad School of Design for student collaboration
- CitySprouts can offer advise on designing with kids in mind, requirements for different crops, teacher use of garden
- Involving kids and teachers in design and building of garden (i.e. Kelly)
Next Steps:
- Before our next meeting (Feb. 24 at 7pm in the King Open Library) people should start looking for design ideas, specifically images that can be shared with group (print or email).
- Check out Boston Schoolyard Initiative Photos for inspriation: http://gallery.mac.com/schoolyards
- Look at www.kidsgardening.org for funding resources as well as activity and project ideas
Second Garden Committee Meeting Minutes
King Open Garden Committee Meeting Notes
3/1/10
Attendance: Mitch Ryerson (parent), Carla Procaskey (community member), Tancredi Botto (parent), Giulia Fulci (parent), Dina Mandell (parent), Jane Hirschi (CitySprouts), Francey Slater (CitySprouts)
** Note from Jessie Wenning about scheduling: try to avoid all Thursdays and 1st Mondays of the month for committee meetings. Thanks**
Rebirth of KO Garden
Goal: create a space that welcomes teachers, children, families, and is USEFUL as a teaching and community resource.
Aesthete and Function should be considered:
- survey teachers (and kids if possible)
- look at body of literature on school gardens
Ideas
- clearly defined beds (border material yet to be determined)
- clear signage of fixtures (i.e. water source, compost, tool shed, etc) & plants (created by children and garden volunteers)
Design
Mitch has been in contact with COG (Community Outreach Group for Landscape Design), which matches designers up with projects, pro bono. Professional designer will assess site, take input from community and create design. No installation.
In order to be listed with COG, we will have to fill out an application (which has to be accepted) and then submit $150 fee.
Do we need a landscape designer?
A professional design would respond to the general community’s feeling that the garden is shabby and unkempt (read, unwelcoming).
An overall plan will also be helpful for our process, as it is likely that the garden will be renovated piece by piece; having a design to break into phases makes this process more manageable and cohesive.
A professional design will be helpful in raising funds to make the implementation possible.
Applying for COG design will likely take some time; there are several things we can initiate now to facilitate the redesign process:
1. Apply to COG
2. Survey teachers (and kids, parents as possible)
3. Start thinking about funding sources, see websites below for ideas:
www.kidsgardening.org/grants.asp
www.captainplanetfdn.org/grants.html
www.csgn.org/page.php?id=30 (many for CA only, but some national)
http://assoc.garden.org/grants/
CitySprouts/KO garden budget can cover $150 application fee, so we can get moving on that piece now.
COG Application requires: photos, base maps, measurements, permit info (will they be required?), review process info (what will it be?), demographics for people using the garden, specific needs of the project (grassy area, raised beds, compost area, tool shed, patio area, tables…)
Action Items
1. Create survey for teachers (Tancredi); questions to include
- How do you use the garden now?
- Are there things you would like to do in the garden but need different infrastructure?
- Are there any changes that would help you use the garden for teaching?
- Rate the following garden features, 1 is most desirable: grassy area, raised beds, compost area, bog, tool shed, patio area, seating area, (what others should we include?)
- Include image of garden on survey
Surveys will be distributed as follows:
K & 1/2 - Giulia
3/4 – Dina
5/6 – Mitch
7/8 – Dina
2. COG application - CitySprouts will do first draft by 3/11
Afterschool Update
As CitySprouts grows to a district-wide program, we are undergoing some reorganization of staff. Our Garden Coordinators will now be serving 3 schools each, and will be focusing on 1)supporting teachers academic use of garden, 2) Garden maintenance 3) Summer Internship for middle school students. Afterschool programming (aka Drop-In) is in a state of transition, as we seek school specific partners (either parent/community based or program based) to help integrate the garden into afterschool culture and programming.
We approached Maureen Spinetti about the Community Schools garden class she has taught in the past; unfortunately she is no longer working with Community Schools, so won’t be teaching in the KO garden this spring.
3/1/10
Attendance: Mitch Ryerson (parent), Carla Procaskey (community member), Tancredi Botto (parent), Giulia Fulci (parent), Dina Mandell (parent), Jane Hirschi (CitySprouts), Francey Slater (CitySprouts)
** Note from Jessie Wenning about scheduling: try to avoid all Thursdays and 1st Mondays of the month for committee meetings. Thanks**
Rebirth of KO Garden
Goal: create a space that welcomes teachers, children, families, and is USEFUL as a teaching and community resource.
Aesthete and Function should be considered:
- survey teachers (and kids if possible)
- look at body of literature on school gardens
Ideas
- clearly defined beds (border material yet to be determined)
- clear signage of fixtures (i.e. water source, compost, tool shed, etc) & plants (created by children and garden volunteers)
Design
Mitch has been in contact with COG (Community Outreach Group for Landscape Design), which matches designers up with projects, pro bono. Professional designer will assess site, take input from community and create design. No installation.
In order to be listed with COG, we will have to fill out an application (which has to be accepted) and then submit $150 fee.
Do we need a landscape designer?
A professional design would respond to the general community’s feeling that the garden is shabby and unkempt (read, unwelcoming).
An overall plan will also be helpful for our process, as it is likely that the garden will be renovated piece by piece; having a design to break into phases makes this process more manageable and cohesive.
A professional design will be helpful in raising funds to make the implementation possible.
Applying for COG design will likely take some time; there are several things we can initiate now to facilitate the redesign process:
1. Apply to COG
2. Survey teachers (and kids, parents as possible)
3. Start thinking about funding sources, see websites below for ideas:
www.kidsgardening.org/grants.asp
www.captainplanetfdn.org/grants.html
www.csgn.org/page.php?id=30 (many for CA only, but some national)
http://assoc.garden.org/grants/
CitySprouts/KO garden budget can cover $150 application fee, so we can get moving on that piece now.
COG Application requires: photos, base maps, measurements, permit info (will they be required?), review process info (what will it be?), demographics for people using the garden, specific needs of the project (grassy area, raised beds, compost area, tool shed, patio area, tables…)
Action Items
1. Create survey for teachers (Tancredi); questions to include
- How do you use the garden now?
- Are there things you would like to do in the garden but need different infrastructure?
- Are there any changes that would help you use the garden for teaching?
- Rate the following garden features, 1 is most desirable: grassy area, raised beds, compost area, bog, tool shed, patio area, seating area, (what others should we include?)
- Include image of garden on survey
Surveys will be distributed as follows:
K & 1/2 - Giulia
3/4 – Dina
5/6 – Mitch
7/8 – Dina
2. COG application - CitySprouts will do first draft by 3/11
Afterschool Update
As CitySprouts grows to a district-wide program, we are undergoing some reorganization of staff. Our Garden Coordinators will now be serving 3 schools each, and will be focusing on 1)supporting teachers academic use of garden, 2) Garden maintenance 3) Summer Internship for middle school students. Afterschool programming (aka Drop-In) is in a state of transition, as we seek school specific partners (either parent/community based or program based) to help integrate the garden into afterschool culture and programming.
We approached Maureen Spinetti about the Community Schools garden class she has taught in the past; unfortunately she is no longer working with Community Schools, so won’t be teaching in the KO garden this spring.
Friday, April 2, 2010
My name is Alice. This is my first year working with CitySprouts as a garden coordinator, and I'm excited. After seemingly weeks of downpours and cold weather, it's Easter weekend and spring might finally be here. The weather for the next few days will be almost hot, and our neighborhood gardeners gearing up for prepping their plots for planting.
I'll be looking after three school gardens this year: Fletcher-Maynard Academy, King Open, and the brand-new one at Cambridgeport. In addition, I've got my own Squirrel Brand plot, maybe the Margaret Fuller House plot, as well as building my own little bed in our new backyard. Lots of work ahead.
I'll be looking after three school gardens this year: Fletcher-Maynard Academy, King Open, and the brand-new one at Cambridgeport. In addition, I've got my own Squirrel Brand plot, maybe the Margaret Fuller House plot, as well as building my own little bed in our new backyard. Lots of work ahead.
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