The Community Garden Organically Fertilizes Young Minds in Northern Nevada

The Winnemucca Community Garden was abuzz on Wednesday April 22^nd, otherwise known as Earth Day. Several primary classes from Winnemucca Grammar School, Sonoma Heights Elementary School, and a cadre of home schooled students visited Winnemucca Community Garden to learn about many aspects of our environment. Fifty-four volunteers from around the community taught kids about the water cycle, art in the garden, the food web, and made pine cone bird feeders. Kids raced to pick up trash and put the litter in the proper recycling bins. They also learned about Sun safety by making sun bonnets and weed warrior helmets. Children learned about the importance of nutrition by making “munching bunny” salads, and even Smokey the Bear showed up to hug the kids and teach them about fire prevention.

The following week the garden staff and a small group of volunteers traveled to King's River, Orovada, McDermitt, and Paradise Valley schools to make sure our rural neighbors could be involved with Earth Day too. The students were wide eyed and very excited about doing some eco-centric activities. The main purpose of the Earth Day event hosted by the garden was to empower children to be environmentally responsible while understanding that no matter how small an action it still makes ripples in the sea of our existence.

The Winnemucca Community Garden would like to give heart-felt thanks to Wal-Mart for a generous donation of reusable bags and employee volunteers; Bank of America for employee volunteers; Raley's for donating recyclable bags; 1^st Way Pregnancy Center for their sun-safety activity; the UNR Cooperative Extension Office for their weed activity; BLM and Smokey the Bear for their fire safety activity; Khoury’s Market for their support; the many AmeriCorps and VISTA volunteers who helped out, our Board Members and garden volunteers. Thank you, Everyone!!

Did you know that Earth Day is the only holiday that is celebrated all over the world regardless of race, nationality, religion or any other creed? Environmental problems affect us all, and only when we get together under the notion of saving our planet can we make the world a better place. To read more about our Earth Day event follow this link to the Silver Pinyon Journal: www.silverpinyon.homestead.com/SPJFeatures

The Winnemucca Community Garden is a United Way of Great Basin partner.