Second Graders from Sonoma Heights Visit the Community Garden

As part of their reading of Around the Pond: Who's Been Here by Lindsay Barrett George, second graders at Sonoma Heights Elementary went on a field trip to the Community Garden's pond.

Students from Mrs. Whitaker, Mrs. Quilici and Mrs. Armstrong's classes walked to the garden to see what they could observe about the stream habitat there.  After learning the garden rules, students went on a silent walk around the pond and made observations about what they saw. Some students couldn't contain their excitement when they saw the bright-orange goldfish in the pond. They were also enthused by the dark green algae.  Often mistaken for moss by the students, green algae grows quickly in our pond. Other students noticed the lily pads, the different colors of the rocks and the small bugs in between the rocks.

The classes learned that the goldfish survive the winter in the pond by living in the water beneath the ice. They slow down their metabolism, or hibernate, during the coldest months of the year.

After the tour of the pond, students took a quick hike along the interpretive trail at the Community Garden. The trail has ten stops that focus on different aspects of the garden, including the greenhouse, the compost, organic gardening and riparian habitats, such as the pond. The field trip ended with a tasty bite of spinach, kale or lettuce from the Community Garden's lettuce patch. Students loved the tasty green leaves.

Thanks to Mrs. Whittaker, Mrs. Quilici and Mrs. Armstrong for taking their classes on such a great adventure! I hope we get to explore more of the garden together soon!