Little hands make big progress
Pre-schoolers become ‘farmers’, writes Siboniso Mngadi
YOU won’t find pre-schoolers at Birches fixated on ipads and tablets at this Pinetown eco-school – you can find the little ones in the garden.
Principal Scilla Edmonds says her school goes beyond just the conventional means of teaching in the early childhood development phase, and instils the “little farmers” with an ethos at the centre which provides a solid foundation in gardening and sustainable living.
Edmonds was born and raised on a farm near the Botswana capital, Gaborone. This is where her inspiration for farming, gardening and kids was nurtured. She joined the school 24 years ago and has empowered pre-schoolers with farming skills and how to care for the ecosystem.
She said the journey of establishing an eco-school began in 1993. They had limited outdoor equipment and a lot of fertile land for gardening.
She has travelled the world attending conferences and seminars on nature conservation and giving expert advice on sustainable living.
“The children recycled to earn extra money and an environmental club was formed. Soon the natural sciences became an important part of our curriculum, including the growing of food and permaculture,” she said.
They used old tyres, concrete pipes and logs to create an interesting outdoor area as a playground and creative growing plots.
“We established a sensopathic garden and explored how we could do that without spending money.”
As the garden was expanding, parents became involved. The school was conserving water, creating a water-wise garden, a herb spiral, a worm farm, composting, mulching, no-dig gardens with brown and grey waste, and raising chickens for eggs and manure.
The front lawn was turned into a fruit forest while the backyard has vegetable plots.
The fruit forest produces gooseberries, granadillas, figs, bananas, pawpaws, peaches and lemons, among others.
The insect, bird and reptile life has flourished.
They sell their produce to parents when they come to pick up and drop off their children.
“Fruit and herbs are available all year, but our butternut, sweet potatoes and other veggies are harvested seasonally.”
“Our growing times for soup vegetables and salads using container gardening, vertical gardening companion planting, takes place mainly at the end of March,” Edmonds explained.
The “little farmers” are very active in the whole production process; they plant, water the crops, harvest and sell the produce. Edmonds said the pre-schoolers were enjoying their outdoor experiences.
“I also believe that they learn a lot being outside.”
Edmonds said they love being able to touch, smell and taste produce, then being able to pick peppers, chillies and other herbs to sell. They are extremely proud to have been awarded the green business flag by the Saville Foundation.
By growing salad, soup vegetables and herbs, the pupils began to eat more healthily as well as becoming young explorers.
She encouraged parents and children to pick herbs and to use them at home. The school has a machine which they use to dry vegetables and fruit when the demand is high.
Edmonds said they were looking for other ways to develop their product and sustainable living centre to reach a stage where people could have home-made bread, jam and fresh eggs from the school.
She declared that her school is also used for lessons, permaculture workshops and as a meeting place for green warriors to demonstrate “off the grid” living.
They have won many awards and have been visited by several international delegates as a result of the unique “teaching” that goes on.
“Our school celebrated its 40th anniversary recently. It is wonderful to see how many pupils have come back as adults to remark on the impact it has had on their lives.
“It is also wonderful to see the career choices being made and the attitudes they have passed on.
“I believe we have evidence in many places on the campus to show just how important it is to use the land we have to influence the next generation,” she said.