The ECOS Club of West Genesee High School in New York won one of the annual Gardening Know How sponsorship awards in 2019.
Christopher Paoli, college level high school teacher of biology, chemistry and environmental classes, is the founder and advisor of the ECOS club. Together with the ECOS Club student members, Chris designed plans to build a garden in the 11,000 square meter courtyard of the high school. So far the club has installed birdhouses and seeding tables. They have marked out an area for native plants that will attract pollinators and they have installed feed in their designated bird area.
It turns out this is going to be a lot more than just a simple vegetable garden. In order to make the project more inclusive, the club members considered how the garden could not only be a valuable learning experience for students, but could also be an oasis for people of all ages.
At the beginning of this year work was carried out and plans for raised beds and benches were drawn up. The club plans to use the high school's shop and tech classes to build them. Students in the school's ceramic class will build a bird bath for the courtyard garden, while supervisors will do the inevitable weeding and mowing. Most of the planning, planting and harvesting is done by ECOS members, headed by Chris. Club members will film each step of the project to describe their process, the motivation behind it, its successes and failures, and what they have learned.
Art students created this representation of the appearance of the gardens.
Four elementary schools in the West Genesee district have garden clubs that are invited to visit the gardens for study sessions. Chris has a 5-step activity program in mind for young students that involves tasting, smelling and feeling the plants with your eyes closed – a wonderful initiation to get them excited about gardening.
In addition to vegetable patches, native plants and flowers, the garden offers comfortable areas for reading, studying and relaxing. Another brilliant idea is a photo room with a beautiful natural backdrop that students can take pictures of in the garden and even take their school photos. There are plans for a sidewalk, and the school's art class will paint a mural along the courtyard walls.
The club will solicit donations from the community for supplies such as mulch, soil, seeds and fertilizer. Some organizations in the region are interested in incorporating native plants into the garden. The school's technology department used the laser engraver to create an ECOS Club logo. The club even has an Instagram address, @westgeneseeecos. Chris and the club plan to donate the majority of their crops to a local pantry to give back to the community.
A nearby college in Syracuse teaches environmental sustainability, which includes an agricultural unit. Chris envisions that part of this curriculum will be included in the teaching component of the ECOS Club. Why are we describing this incredible project in future tense?
The 2020 pandemic got a grip on the plans Chris and his students worked so hard to develop. The school is currently only visited in person on a strict changeover schedule, with Wednesdays reserved for thorough cleaning.
Like all of us, Chris Paoli hopes that we will see better times soon and that West Genesee High School will have its school garden in 2021. Until then, your plans and ideas will continue to grow patiently thoughts from Chris and his ECOS Club members. Gardening Know How is proud to be part of this vision.
