Woodland students plant garden

When Woodland Elementary West second-graders head to their school garden Thursday and Friday, June 2 and 3, they’ll be doing a lot more than digging in the dirt.

Children will get hands-on lessons in where food comes from, how to grow their own, and how working together can change the community.

The students planted seeds in their classrooms, tended them and will transplant the seedlings in the garden. In the last several years, students have donated more than 2,500 pounds of vegetables to the Warren Township Food Pantry.

The harvest garden is a unique way to bring together students, families and the community, and reinforces the core values of teamwork, responsibility, perseverance and helping others. The garden project also complements classroom science lessons.

“Each year, we try to expand on what we do in our garden,” Assistant Principal Joan Luxon said. “This year, we have installed gutters and rain barrels to water our plants using Mother Nature. We also have a raised bed, a new addition to our plot.”

The children will plant their seedlings in the 100-by-50-foot garden June 2 and 3 behind the school, 17371 W. Gages Lake Road, Gages Lake. Rain dates are Monday and Tuesday, June 6 and 7.

An agricultural educator will provide an in-garden “field trip” for the children, teaching them what plants need to thrive and produce vegetables. As returning third-graders in the fall, students will tour the mature garden and harvest vegetables.

The project was supported by the District 50 operations and facilities department, Lake County Farm Bureau, Gurnee Park District, Warren Township, College of Lake County, Ace Hardware (Libertyville), Target (Mundelein and Vernon Hills), Home Depot (Mundelein and Gurnee), TGI Friday’s (Gurnee), Walmart (Gurnee), Jewel (Gurnee), Lake County Soil and Water, Lowe’s (Gurnee), and Cheryl Pytlarz.

A team of parent volunteers and school staff manage the classroom planting kits, garden tilling and composting, mulching and planting days. Also, families have volunteered to water and weed the garden throughout the summer.

Interested garden volunteers in the community should contact Anne Nagro at (847) 855-1178.