Growing up in northeastern United States, I had a garden at
home, and I would often help my mother grow plants and vegetables. When I left home to attend university in
Vermont, the students maintained an organic garden that grew fresh fruits,
vegetables, herbs and flowers. It was
one of my favorite places on campus to visit and was where my husband proposed
marriage, so it continues to bring me fond memories.
Gardens don’t only hold personal significance for me. They
also provide important benefits to individual health and the environment. Many Americans have chosen to grow their own
produce as a healthy alternative to supermarket varieties or to reduce fossil
fuel consumption and emissions required to transport produce across great
distances. Responsible consumers plant home and community gardens in an effort
to “eat locally” to reduce carbon emissions and have a smaller impact on the
environment.
The U.S. Consulate General, Hyderabad decided to team up
with i Go Green Foundation to plant a school garden. We wanted to help students begin the path
towards healthy lifestyles and learn about the benefits of gardens to the
environment. Planting a school or community garden restores oxygen to the air,
helps replenish groundwater supplies and reduces air pollution.
Planting a garden also creates a positive learning space and
opportunity to build responsibility in young children. By planting a school garden we created an
outdoor classroom where students can gain firsthand knowledge about basic plant
biology and the ecosystem. They also
learn the value of responsibility, as they work to care for living things and
learn about the many environmental and health benefits of plants and trees. Most importantly, planting a school garden
empowers students by showing them they can have a positive impact on their
community and the environment.
The students of Sri Vidyanjali School in Kukatpally were
excited to have their own school garden.
Together we planted seeds that will grow into palak, tomatoes, bitter
gourd, brinjal, chili peppers and more.
Of course, I could only be there for one day; it will be up to the
students to maintain their garden. I
told them I’d be come back to check on their progress. The students promised to make me lunch with
fresh vegetables from the garden. I
can’t wait, as long as they don’t use too much chili!
Elizabeth Jones is the
Assistant Public Affairs Officer at the U.S. Consulate General, Hyderabad.
