Garden Planning Meeting 2/8/2011

It was a week ago yesterday that members of the BHSEC Garden Committee joined BHSEC Special Events Manager Kristi Powell at the school for a meeting to brainstorm about possible future projects and improvements to the Bard Yard. In December a benefactor gave BHSEC a generous donation to be used in the development of a cafe garden a la Alice Waters' Edible Garden project. Waters is the renowned chef and the most visible activist and promoter of organic and locally grown food--especially at schools. We are very excited about this and had a very productive meeting.

The garden committee was joined by architect Andrew E. Burdick of Ennead Architects who has volunteered to work with us.

He came prepared with several versions of plans and quickly sketched out new possibilities after listening everyone's ideas and noting the elements that should be included in the plan (basketball courts and space for outdoor performances or the high school graduation after-party, for example)

Here's the gist of what we discussed at the meeting (from Sonia's notes):

• a permanent and largely underground water solution
• incorporating vegetables into the garden especially those which thrive in spring and the fall to coincide with students' attendance
• the location of, design, and construction materials for the "farm"
• the design of the entire space to incorporate the "farm," the common meeting/events area, the buffer area, and the basketball court
  
• how to get the faculty and students (and community in the future ) more involved. Examples: holding classes in the garden, doing botany or science projects, Eco club, recycling, events, art installations, and arranging garden elements to encourage "hanging out"
  
• long and short term goals
• future sources of aid, funds or grants and partnerships with other local groups to combine grants
  
• the possibility of getting help, especially in the summer when students are gone, from partners and local community groups
• how to make the garden more appealing--the aesthetics, design, noise and wind buffers, seating areas, and using the new kind of astroturf

The progress we've made in the garden since the committee got going in 2009 is amazing. Being in the city we may never have the amount of green area that Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson does, but our yard is going to continue to improve and be a great place to think.

Lowe's Toolbox for Education Grant Success!

Recently garden committee member Helen Slavin was excited to let us all know that she'd gotten a letter from Lowe's informing us that we were selected to receive a $2600 grant for "The Bard Yard."

Lowe's donates $5 million to public schools every year through their Toolbox for Education Grants. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lowe's. The bulk of this money will be spent on an automated sprinkler system and as I've mentioned in earlier entries watering the garden has been extremely labor-intensive and time consuming. This grant will help to ease the maintenance and ensure the future of the garden.

It's been a while since I posted so to jog my memory I looked through the past blog entries and found this one with details of our plans for a sprinkler system. Some of the members will be meeting soon to nail down the particulars for ordering the system.

If any parents of the Bard H.S. Early College community see this blog and are interested in joining the committee please leave a comment and make sure that you are put onto our group email list. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have as well. We would love to have new members to help out with future planning, the sprinkler installation and spring planting (which is really fun and satisfying).

P.S. I just scrolled backward (fast) through the past blog entries. I recommend it if you'd like to get a pictorial history of the 2009 garden.