The UC Davis Children’s Garden Program supports the development and use of instructional school gardens through training, resources and networking opportunities.

Fall 2008 Workshops for School Garden Educators

The UC Davis Children’s Garden Program offers training for parents and educators to support school garden programs.   All workshops include hands-on activities in the Ecological Garden at the UC Davis Student Farm.

• Creating and Sustaining Your School Garden

  Full-day workshop for school garden teams - Offered two times!
  SATURDAY, September 6  OR  SATURDAY, October 25  
  8:30am - 4:30pm      $125/team (minimum 3 persons)

  This workshop is designed for teams of 3-5 people from schools that are just starting or reviving a garden program.  Teams must include at least one teacher and can also include parents, community volunteers, school administrators, or other school personnel.   We will cover basic gardening concepts, garden design, building a support network, educational tie-ins and much more.

  Participants will:

  • Share ideas for designing and using instructional school gardens
  • Learn about gardening basics, such as understanding soil types, preparing beds, choosing plants, setting up an irrigation system, and managing weeds and pests
  • Understand the importance of teamwork to start and sustain a school garden
  • Find out how to get more resources for successful school gardens
  • Begin to plan their school garden program
  
  

• The Power of Perennials

  Half-day workshop (teams not required)
  SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2008 9:00am-12:00pm   $25/person
  

  Discover attractive, low-maintenance perennial herbs, trees and California native plants that can become the backbone for your school landscape or garden area.  Learn ways they can be used for teaching.  Great to combine this workshop with Where the Wild Things Are.
  
  

• Where the Wild Things Are: Insects and Other Garden Critters

  Half-day workshop (teams not required)
  SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2008 12:30pm – 3:30pm    $25/person
  
  Search for insects, learn to identify common garden critters and find out which plants can attract butterflies, birds and beneficial bugs to your school garden.  We will explore the role of insects in the garden ecosystem and ideas for using them to teach science and other subjects.
  

For more information, please call 530-752-7655 or send email to jlohmart@ucdavis.edu.

Our workshop series is supported by the UC Davis College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and the California Department of Education, Nutrition Services Division.

And save the date... October 16th 4:00-8:00 pm... more information soon “Garden-Based Nutrition Education for K - Grade 6 Teachers” with Delaine Eastin -- Workshop and Dinner presented by the Center for Nutrition in Schools in partnership with the UC Davis Children’s Garden Program.

Free Resource Guide

Need ideas for starting a school garden?   The California School Garden Network has recently published a new guidebook: "Gardens for Learning: Creating and Sustaining Your School Garden."  California educators may request a free hard copy.  It's also available as a downloadable PDF.  For more information see: http://www.csgn.org/publications.php.