The environmental club has announced plans to plant a garden on school property. The garden, tentatively titled the “MFS Sustainable Vegetable/Herb Garden,” will be located either on the path to Hartman Hall or by the lower school. It will grow herbs such as oregano and basil that could be potentially used in school lunches.
Scott Krasner, environmental club co-president, talked about his roots in sustainable farming. “When I was in elementary school,” he said, “I had to take care of a goat…we also had a little garden.” When he came to Moorestown Friends and saw that there was nothing similar, he brought this idea to environmental club. “When I started going to environmental club and we became more focused on green initiatives I was really excited.” Lauren Brill, co-president, said, “We’ve been discussing it for a while now, it was sort of a perfect opportunity when we realized no one was really doing anything with the space there.
Plans for the garden are still being finalized. The club is gaining support from the school faculty deciding on the location of the garden. There are two potential locations: the south side of playground by the time capsule or by the path to Hartman Hall. Hartman Hall is the more likely spot. Brill said, “It would be where there used to be tangled weeds and wildflowers, we were going to do something more organized.” Krasner said, “Hartman Hall would probably be a better place. People can see it as they walk by, it’s more open, and there’s not as much shade so we would have sunlight coming in.”
Once the location is finalized and the garden is approved, the environmental club will start preparing to construct the garden. “Hopefully in the spring, probably the end of April we will be getting ready to plant,” said Krasner. The club will use feedback from students and faculty to guide the construction of the garden.
The environmental club hopes to involve the lower grades in this project. Krasner said, “You see a lot of elementary schools doing this because kids love playing with dirt, but also it’s an interactive way to learn about plants and botany. I think that aspect could be brought to the lower school or maybe the middle school.”
Although the Environmental Club is sponsoring and taking time to maintain the garden, Krasner urges the rest of the school community to help out. He said, “If you want to get involved please do because we love enthusiasm, even if you’re not part of environmental club.” For those that do not know how to garden, the club plans to offer information sessions about gardening.