Students and staff who are a part of the GHS Garden and Sustainability Club are excited for a new year of possibilities. The school garden has a variety of fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and every season the group discusses what to plant.
Administrative Assistant and Garden Club Advisor Karla Geiger describes exactly what happens with the garden. “This garden is an outdoor learning space where students, staff, families and community members can visit and volunteer, sit and enjoy or support by purchasing fundraising items,” she said.
This outdoor learning space has given students the opportunity to explore a new interest or continue doing something they love in a school setting. “I grew up gardening with my mom in our own front yard. So when I got to high school where there was a huge garden that helped our community, I knew I wanted to be part of it,” senior Genevieve Skibicki said.
The club has benefited GHS and the Greendale community as a whole. “Our School Garden grows hundreds of pounds of produce that we pass along to our Food Service for our lunch program throughout all of the schools in our district,” Geiger said. “We also are able to donate produce to the Senior Social Club, which helps our greater community.”
Because of all the help the club offers, they are ambitious in their efforts in this upcoming year. “[Our goals] have been to get more youth in and using our School Garden, and work to educate more of our school community and greater community about this hidden gem,” Geiger added.
The Garden and Sustainability Club has not only been an outside learning space for students to explore the rewards of gardening, but has also been dedicated in their efforts to help the school and community.
