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Published on 05/25/1998 All articles from this issue

Program helps students explore secrets of the garden and literacy

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By Linda Taaffe

Town Crier Staff Writer

Armed with magnifying glasses, bug boxes and butterfly nets, second graders from Castro Elementary School in Mountain View descended upon the community garden at the Mountain View Senior Center last week. They explored garden life while enhancing their vocabulary skills through a literacy program sponsored by the Mountain View-Los Altos Adult School and the Master Gardeners from the University of California.

"They're all over just like little bees," said program coordinator Linda McCrary about the students. "This gives them the chance to get out of the classroom and really experience the smells and sights of the garden and to learn new vocabulary."

McCrary and Natalie Johnson began the "Literacy in the Garden" program two years ago as a way to get students into a hands-on learning environment.

Through the program, volunteers take about five students each through the garden for about 30 minutes. Outside the garden gates, the students draw pictures and play games that incorporate the vocabulary they learned in the garden.

McCrary said about 40 students visit the garden twice a week through the program, which runs for about seven weeks each spring and fall when the garden is the "most prolific." She said about 850 students from neighborhood schools have participated in the program over the past two years.

She said the community garden is a wonderful treat for students because it is "very cross-cultural" with plots managed by Russian, Chinese, American and Italian gardeners. She said about 50 Mountain View seniors have plots where they plant everything from zucchini, fava beans, moon melons, herbs, artichokes to strawberries. There's also a compost bin with red wiggler worms.

About 15 community members from the Los Altos and Mountain View areas volunteer each season, Johnson said. She said gardening is secondary to teaching the kids.

"We all do it because we like kids. We like to see them express themselves, answer questions," she said. "It's really easy to do and a good community connection."

Isao Hashimoto, who has a plot in the garden where he grows Chinese peas, garlic and onions, has volunteered in the program for about a year.

"I'm interested in education as a whole," he said. Hashimoto said always interesting to see what grabs the students' attention. He said most of the kids are fascinated with the bugs. Because of this, Hashimoto made several butterfly nets with bamboo handles for the kids to use to examine garden insects. Like Hashimoto, many of the volunteers bring in surprises such as lady bugs or preying mantises for the kids to see before they enter the garden.

Guadalupe Hernandez, a second grader at Castro School, was among those fascinated with the bugs.

"I like it. It tickles," she said as a red wiggler worm crawled across her hand.

The Literacy in the Garden Program is always looking for volunteers to lead tours through the garden for the seven-week program. Garden knowledge is not required. For more information, call 940-6024.