The Mindful Gator Garden

School:: East Naples Middle
Subject:: Character Education
Teacher:: Camiria Jones
: Adren Hance, Susan Rober, Edeline Davis, Yulissa Resendiz
Students Impacted:: 1000
Grade:: 6-8
Date:: September 10, 2021

Investor

Thank you to the following investor for funding this grant.

Suncoast Credit Union - $1,967.00

Impact to My Classroom

# of Students Impacted: 20

Dedication and creativity! These are the two words I would use to describe the many students who helped with “The Mindful Gator Garden”. Initially, they were faced with four empty beds to fill with plants that needed regular cultivation. They dutifully planted nearly 70 plants and regularly watered and weeded to maintain the garden. I am so proud of their efforts and persistence as well. Even when things became difficult (i.e. trying to dig holes that were filled with rocks and large pieces of wood and then having to have them removed), they persevered and decorated the garden with the rocks they found. These students also poured and spread mulch and dirt. Again, I marvel at their efforts.

Students also had time to enjoy the garden via mindfulness activities and making food recipes. Firstly, students enjoyed painting clay pots colorfully to label the herb plants (i.e., parsley, oregano, cilantro, sage, rosemary, etc.). They also enjoyed making many fun suggestions concerning the decoration of the garden and were well invested in the overall project. “Cooking” was fun for students who wanted to harvest the herbs to season a pasta dish. Finally, students were able to relax by sitting in chairs and practicing simple mindfulness by closing their eyes and focusing on their breath.

A big thank you goes out to ENMS’s building facilities manager for helping myself and the students with the watering, obtaining water, securing a place for the garden, and making two large gardening beds! Also, thank you to a teacher for donating coconut trees! Lastly, thank you to our donors as you have helped middle school students feel a sense of accomplishment due to hard work and focus!

grant photo

Original Grant Overview

Goal

To ensure that students have a multisensory (i.e., taste, smell, touch, sight, sound) sustainable garden designed for them in order to enjoy mindful activities. Mindful activities (Mindfulness) promotes physical and mental wellness, engagement in learning, calmness, and more importantly allow students to return to their academic learning activities with a renewed purpose, focus, and dedication.

What will be done with my students

In a middle school that has the fourth largest number of middle school students who are economically needy, it is important that there are opportunities to view beauty and experience and interact with nature. Various activities in addition to engaging in the care of the garden will be implemented. These activities primarily are derived from a book titled “The Mindful Gardener: A Journal”. Examples include:
1. Poetry readings in the garden
2. Sketching the Garden in “four seasons”
3. Sitting on one of the four benches and practicing meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness breathing
4. Listening to relaxing music in the garden
5. Slowing down and noticing the flora and fauna in the garden
6. Taking a magnifying glass to study the leaves of one of the plants and drawing that image
7. Leaf rubbing-using dried leaves
8. Taking a smooth stone and writing a word of affirmation on the stone (i.e., Gratitude, Grace, Breathe, Discover), and placing it in the garden
9. Studying the healing powers of the herbs and other plants
10. Cutting the herbs and drying them to make gifts for special people in their life

Benefits to my students

The Benefits of this project have the potential to be enormous. Firstly, all students and teachers will have the opportunity to walk through the garden and practice mindfulness. Other schools in the district and possibly outside the district can benefit from “The Mindful Gator Garden”. Initially, faculty who are members of the Social-Emotional Learning Committee will work on the construction of the garden in order to ensure that students are not exposed to the dangers of handling tools, wheelbarrows, nails, fences, etc. After the skeleton component of the garden is constructed, students will have the opportunity to take more of an active role in the formulation of the garden. Students will be involved in planting and nurturing herbs as they grow and caring for the perimeter of the garden (The perimeter will be styled similar to a Piet Oudolf design). Piet Oudolf has designed and inspired gardens around the world. Some of the most famous include the Lurie Garden (above a parking garage in Chicago, IL), and the High Line (in an abandoned railway in New York, New York). Because Piet Oudolf works to evoke an emotional response to nature, including a facsimile of his design would be perfect for The Mindful Gator Garden. Additionally, Piet Oudolf has created community gardens where children can experience nature such as the Oudolf Garden Detroit (Please see image of sketch for our garden design).

Budget Narrative

The budget is primarily for the plants, benches, and fence to protect the investment of The Mindful Garden. Students and faculty alike will get to enjoy and explore the garden. More importantly, students will be exposed to high quality landscape design and architecture. Hopefully, this garden can be added to the great collection of community gardens that Piet Oudolf has influenced. A local family business will also be supported as a result of this grant.

Items

#	Item	Cost
1	Four Garden Benches	$400.00
2	Perennials (Hibiscus, Ruellia, Blue Mai Mai)-Four Each	$132.00
3	Herbs (Lavender, Dill, Mint, Rosemary, Basil, Sage, Oregano, Tarragon, Parsley, Thyme, Cilantro)	$264.00
4	Grass/Grass Like Plants (White Fountain Grass, Dracafna Bush, Jasmine Summer Sweet)	$400.00
5	River Pebbles (10 Bags)	$40.00
6	Watering Cans (3)	$33.00
7	Wood-4X4	$70.00
8	Fence Gate	$50.00
9	Fencing Panel	$400.00
10	Wheelbarrow	$90.00
11	Ponytail Palms X4	$36.00
12	Lemon Grass	$52.00
	Total:	$1,967.00

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