Being outside in the garden is the best place to engage the senses and develop social emotional skills.
Core Principles Series: Engage with Worms, Bees, Chickens, and Other Animals
Early exposure to organisms builds empathy for living things and teaches about life cycles, ecosystem dynamics, and predator/prey relationships.
Core Principles Series: Build a Diverse Community
Students observe birds on campus near the garden in order to categorize behaviors.
Core Principles Series: Let the Kids Be the Gardeners
It’s helpful to give kids some direction, but they need opportunities to try things out and make mistakes.
Core Principles Series: Make it Hands-On
A hands-on instructional approach is a cornerstone of garden-based education.
Core Principles Series: Build Self-Efficacy
When a newly planted seed germinates or a freshly harvested radish is eaten, kids wear success in their smiles.
Core Principles Series: Cultivate a Sense of Place
Cultivating a sense of place is a key – and sometimes underestimated – component of a successful garden-based education program.
Core Principles Series: Cultivate a Connection to Food
If they grow it, they’ll eat it. It will seem less bizarre if they are part of the growing process.
Core Principles Series: Make Connections to Home and Community
A class field trip to the farmers market illustrates just one of the many connections to home and community made with garden-based education.
Core Principles Series: Immerse Yourself in Nature
Spend just 20 minutes a day immersed in nature to boost overall health.
Core Principles Series: Let the Garden Be the Teacher
A garden is a living system, which means lessons must be dynamic, flexible, and in tune with seasonal cycles and natural patterns.
Core Principles Series: Engage Kids in Meaningful Fitness
Meaningful fitness “exercises” the mind and body at the same time.
Core Principles Series: Utilize an Integrated Curriculum
Throughout 2022, I’ll be sharing Nathan Larson’s 15 “Core Principles of Garden-Based Education,” using them as an organizing frame for reflecting on the school garden movement in Napa County.
Inspired by Two Mission-Driven Businesses
I’ve doubled down since the pandemic and centered my teaching on the science of stress, self-care as a radical act of resistance, and trauma-informed practices.
Year End Appeal: A Call to Action for School Garden Educators and Supporters Alike
Given the challenges schools have faced in the last two years, garden teachers (and kids) need more support from the community than ever before.
Confessions of a Halloween Trickster
Truth be told, I’ve never handed out candy for trick-or-treat. I prefer to share garden treats instead. Find out what this year’s trick will be.
Building Resilience with Robust Vision
School gardens with a robust vision are more likely to build resilience in the wake of many challenges.
Four Keys to Grant Collaboration: A Farm-to-School Success Story
Farm to School recently announced record-setting funding for feeding and teaching kids. Read these tips as you think about your grant proposal.
A Somber Summer Solstice
To celebrate organizations who are leading the way in the face of social inequity and racial injustice in outdoor education, this month’s post highlights curated resources for building resilience and confronting silence.
Extolling the Virtues of a Snail
If the snail is already not your favorite animal, Escargot would like you to reconsider.
Steps for Designing a Children’s Garden
Celebrate National Garden Month by engaging the youngest gardeners to design their own spaces to engage and explore.
Being a Curious Birder
Becoming a curious birder may be just the antidote you need to get through 2020!
“Monsters Don’t Eat Broccoli!” and Other Halloween Reads
Stay safe this Halloween with creative planting activities and not-so-scary vegetable books.
Cooking Up Food Education
As a former classroom teacher, I can attest to the powerful pull food has for students.
Guest Post: Try “One Bite” Salsa Straight from the Garden
Despite the fact that I am not an expert gardener, I still find the importance and joy of sharing my experiences with food, the connection between garden-to-classroom and farm-to-table lessons.
The Ambiguous Loss of Outdoor Education
Amidst the health and safety concerns, I’ve started to mourn the loss of access to outdoor learning spaces.
Growing a Garden as a Metaphor for Hope
Fighting racial injustice must begin somewhere. For me, that somewhere is hope.
Especially Now, Weed Mindfully
Weeds are in the eye of the beholder. This weed season, I offer three reasons to put your energy elsewhere.
Stone Soup for the Body, Soul, & Society as a Whole
Stone Soup encourages students to try a wide variety of vegetables while building classroom community through cuisine.
Kinders Count…Bees!
To engage kindergarteners in local, place-based investigation of bees, we ground the investigation in a real-life phenomenon: What kind of bees are in our school garden?
Bedazzle with Bulbs!
Bulbs are easy to cultivate and fun to study in the school garden, even for the youngest learners.
A Rave Review of “the School Garden Curriculum” by Kaci Rae Christopher
In the School Garden Curriculum, Christopher offers a rare gem in the field of garden-based learning that clearly capitalizes on her numerous years of experience leading children in learning outdoors.
Crowdfunding Successes (and Challenges) for Garden-Based Education
With the right combination of planning and prowess, crowdfunding is a viable way to raise money for garden-based education.
How Do You Like Your Zs?
Following these garden-to-cafeteria guidelines eased the way for a motivated group of teachers, students, food service professionals, and community members.
Back to School Inspiration for Garden Educators
Grow your garden and your teaching practice with collaboration.
National Children and Youth Gardening Symposium Does Not Disappoint!
Daily highlights from an amazing conference will inspire you to build the future of your school garden program.
A School Garden Goes On Tour!
Inviting the community to tour your garden is an authentic opportunity to beautify a school campus.
Sunflowers Are Fun Flowers!
Sunflowers beckon your attention when in bloom just in time for back-to-school.
Garden to Cafeteria Can Make Farm to Table a Reality for School Lunch
Growing your own is an old idea with new legs, especially when it comes to school lunch.
One Teacher and Twelve Ecokids Tackle the Calendula Challenge
Making a salve from calendula is a great use for this prolific weed.
Core Principle Series: Work, Play and Get Dirty!
Dirty hands. Muddy feet. Grass-stained clothing. A teacher’s worst nightmare. But for many students, the opportunity to get dirty through outdoor education is a crucial, missing component in their early development.
Gleaning the Field 