Category: Children

If it's Thursday, It Might Be Third Graders! PS 217 Classes Return for Fall Visits with iDig2Learn

11/1/2015

Thanks to our member, Christina Delfico, we continue have many opportunities to host groups from PS 217 and teach the younger generation about gardening. Last Thursday, third graders came out to the garden. Rain was avoided and the temperature cooperated at 72 degrees. Students learned about Monarch Butterflies under the cotton wood tree, planted milkweed seeds in the Monarch Corridor project beds outside the garden and had the thrill of composting expertise led by Anthony Longo. The third graders spotted worms, rolly pollies (wood lice) and even a praying mantis.

Most of the children could not believe they had to leave so quickly and one student said, "I wish I could just stay here!" Don't we all feel that way sometimes? Christina was sure to remind them of our public hours on weekends during the May-September open season.

And next Thursday, 11/5, promises 70 degrees again and another visit. - unbelievably lucky. Students will harvest the amaranth in the outside butterfly beds and learn more about the amazing Monarchs! What a student friendly environment our beautiful garden is. What a great relationship we all started with the school years ago - and strive to maintain - so proud!

These are photos of Anthony Longo in action teaching about composting! In Earth We Trust as our logo says!

RIGC presents a Fall for Arts Mural: RI-Green Future

11/1/2015

Local teen artist, Laura Dutilloy, has grown up on Roosevelt Island going to the gardens all her life and to the RIVAA gallery since she was in pre-school. She studies art in school,has done sets for school plays, and is an artist in many DIY ways for relaxation. When she looked over her mom's shoulder and saw a "Call for Community Artists" for the Fall for Arts festival on the RIGC email account, she exclaimed, " I would love to try that." The deadline was fast approaching and the theme announced was Roosevelt Island Past and Roosevelt Island Future. Laura presented a sketch connected to RIGC and "green" Island initiatives by the end of the day and was accepted for the festival and sponsored by RIGC.

During the painting day, some children came by and proposed bugs and worms. They drew a few ideas for her to include on the mural. Her family ended up helping her to finalize this first, largemural project on a beautiful fall day and are, of course, quite proud. Look closely to find monarchs and cormorants, compost and green roofs. Enjoy this whimsical view of Roosevelt Island as a green center for the city!

...And next year watch for the "Call for Community Artists." We will send it out quickly so that more RIGC members can get involved and sponsor more art for Roosevelt Island and continue to spread all our green ideas!

Island Kids Campers in the Gardens in July

7/31/2015

"Roosevelt Island Garden Club In Earth We Trust" Composting - Science or Magic?

RIGC and Island Kids began working together on a plan last spring. RIGC has helped Island Kids Summer Camp to start gardening in their own back yard. We have also hosted the fifty RI Island Kids campers (ages 4-6 and ages 7-10) in smaller groups for several educational workshops in the gardens.

The children and counselors have learned about the Roosevelt Island Garden Club. They have searched for flowers, vegetables, fruits and more. (The scarecrows and statues are some of their favorite parts of the garden.) They have learned about composting, touched earth worms, and played games to sort out browns or greens from what doesn't belong in compost. They have heard about the importance of the asclepsias plants (milkweed, both orange and pink flowerd) for the monarch butterflies and seen the new Monarch Corridor Project beds. The older group has visited the pond and the horsetail rush plants that were around on earth when the dinosaurs lived. RIGC has also donated one of our composter tumblers for lunchtime fruit scraps and dried leaves.

Most of all, we have all stopped together to breathe and look and listen. The Island Kids campers are now planting seeds and seedlings in their own back yard space and learning first hand some of the joys of gardening!

RIGC Outreach through Garden Visits: Join Us!

7/14/2015

April brought our dear friends from PS IS 217 2nd and 3rd grade with their annual inspiration visits for their iDig2Learn classes.

May brought PS IS 217 Kindergarten classes who participated in scavenger hunts to learn about the garden. Thanks to RI resident, Janine Schaefer, we also were able to host the Brownies and Girl Scouts of the Beacon/ RI Youth Program: Troops 3244 & 3245 for an afternoon of drawing and dreaming.

In June we began our Island Kids connection with two visits from their after school group to plant seeds and watch snails. July brings workshops for Island Kids Campers and a new little garden for their summer camp program behind their main site.

If you like creating activities or hosting activities or connecting with Island groups, please send us an email. We already have a committee of about five club members and are always open for more help and more fun as we share gardening learning with our Roosevelt Island neighbors.

A Living Library Gardening Class for Parents and Children on Roosevelt Island : sign up at the RI Branch of NYPL

7/2/2015

Hi Roosevelt Island Garden Club Members !

We wanted to make sure that you and your network of Parents and Children (ages 4-14) know about the exciting, new, FREE, hands-on learning program this summer with the RI Library & A Living Library. We will be focussing on Literacy, Gardening, Ecology, Multi-Arts, Nutrition, Local History and using the beautiful RI Living Library & Think Park Gardens behind 504 Main Street, adjacent to the site of the new Library. Please spread the word ! And, Please join us !

Above is the flyer and to the right is the application. The first class is on JULY 7 and will be led by Premilla Dixit Nag with Nicole Nelson. It would be great if you can bring the application to the Library in advance of the first session so we know how many to expect. You can also bring it to the first class.

We hope to see you soon ! Thank you for your participation and sharing with your neighbors and friends.

Bonnie Ora Sherk
Founder & Director
Life Frames, Inc. & A Living Library
bonnieora@alivinglibrary.org
http://www.alivinglibrary.org
http://www.alivinglibrary.org/blog

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Ideas proposed for PS IS 217 Roosevelt Island Green Roof

3/9/2015

Imagine 6,750 square feet of under utilized riverfront roof that can be transformed into a Green STEM learning hub with views of Manhattan.

Please check out the following link and vote your conscience for a new garden project at PS IS 217 now on the Participatory Budget ballot.
Anyone over 16 can vote at the following times and locations:
PS/IS 217 - Mon 4/13 - 7:30-10:30am
Senior Center - Tues 4/14 – 10am – 1pm
NYPL Roosevelt Island - Wed, 4/15 - 3-7PM
Visitors Kiosk / Tram - Sat 4/18 – 11am-5pm
concurrent with iDig2Learn hosted Earth Day event 10am – 1pm

Or in Manhattan:Ben Kallos’ District Office (244 E93 str.)
– Mon-Fri, April 13-18,9am-6pm
VOTE for PS IS 217 Roosevelt Island Green Roof

Island Kids: Learning Workshop in the Garden

9/20/2014

Late August brought more outreach opportunities to RIGC.

Thanks to Sande Elinson, Nikki Leopold, and Kwasi Long, we were finally able to connect, schedule, and host the Island Kids campers in the garden for a learning workshop.

On Friday, August 22, thirty children, ages 4-6, and their 6 counselors spent an hour in the garden. By dividing them into smaller groups we offered them three 20 minute participatory activities.

Touching and smelling herb cuttings, learning about worms and snails, then planting seeds with Julia Ferguson in the front picnic area .
A scavenger hunt/exploration walk through varied sections of the garden.
Sorting new materials and observing the cycle that brings compost to enrich soil with Anthony Longo in our back working center.
The visit ended with some cool water and the Inch by Inch song on the ukelele.

If you see our visitors bring their parents back to the gardens, you may hear them explain how the garden works on weekends. "Look and enjoy, but don't touch!" One of the college age counselors grew up on Roosevelt Island, but this was her first visit to the garden! We are so glad they all made it before the summer ended.

RIDN Campers visit our Garden

8/12/2014

Julia invited them in to her garden to touch the squash and get closer to some flowers and herbs.

The campers sent us a letter after their visit.

RIGC continues to reach out to Roosevelt Island In addition to our regular open weekend hours every Saturday and Sunday from May 1 to Sept. 30, we recently invited the Roosevelt Island Day Nursery Campers, ages 3 to 5 ,for an organized visit in July. They will return in August.

Campers learned about how each garden is private and individual like their cubbies and work trays. They learned how we share the whole garden like they share spaces at school. We toured some of the main paths, the front common area, and our composting system. The children predicted, observed, helped throw new materials and kitchen scraps into the compost, and enjoyed the sights and smells! They took some seeds back to school to examine and plant. Take a look at the work and learning they generously shared with us. As one little camper said, "Awesome!"

These were the campers thoughts before the visit. Will this place be like a farm? Is it near the fire station?

Anthony shared a tomato plant and green beans off the vine from his plot. He introduced campers to composting friends like earthworms. They loved the front common area and a ladybug came to visit them there.

Practical Education

5/13/2014

What better way is there to talk about recycling than by showing how composting is being done by RIGC? On Monday, May 12, a class of students from P.S./I.S. 217 visited the garden, examined the composting bins, took turns churning the bins, and heard about the how and why of composting and other forms of recycling. Along the way, they got to experience the special beauty and tranquility of an outdoor garden.

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