This school year, Liberty’s Garden Club has experienced new growth. The club merged with Liberty’s Students for Environmental Action (SEA) club, resulting in an expansion in both size and scope of projects.
Additionally, the club has gained a new advisor, Jenifer Secrist (she/her), science teacher at Liberty.
“I just thought it would be a great opportunity in our urban area to get involved, take it over and then also be able to use it as a living lab for our environmental science class,” Secrist said.
As an environmental science teacher, many personal interests drew Secrist to the club.
“[I’m involved because of] my passion for the environment and stewardship of the land, and wanting kids to really grasp where our food comes from,” Secrist said.
Many students who share a similar passion for environmental action enjoy the purpose behind the club.
“I saw somewhere I could help our community, and I decided to take action,” Lucy Pottebaum (she/her), 12, said. “We get to see how what we grow can turn into something.”
During meetings, members can plant and harvest crops, make products from grown food and maintain the garden and surrounding area. Through hands-on experience, the Garden/SEA club provides a pathway for students to get involved and make a difference in the environment.
“It’s a good way to help the environment and get a bit of a green thumb [and] learn how to grow and maintain a garden,” Jacob Hall (he/him), 12, said. “It’s fun and productive.”
Students have also taken on a bigger role than in previous years.
“It is heavily student-led. She [Secrist] guides us when we don’t know, but mainly she just lets us pick what we want to do and execute it,” Pottebaum said.
Members of the club have determined their own goals for this year, including the introduction of compost bins at Liberty.
“We’re going to take the compost from lunch, put it into our compost bin and then have soil by the end of the year so we can use it to garden,” Pottebaum said. This new adaptation is one of many planned for the Garden/SEA Club in the upcoming months.
Additionally, the club will continue to prepare for winter and hopes to gain more members throughout the year.
“I always want to look for ways to reach out to other people and get them involved,” Secrist said.
To learn more about the Garden/SEA club, contact Jenifer Secrist via ICCSD email.
