EcoGarden a 'Natural' Classroom Extension

Throughout the summer, faculty and staff on the Lyndhurst campus watched with anticipation and excitement as a new addition emerged. The EcoGarden, a space that was conceived and created through the generosity of the Geller family, is now complete and ready to be used by students and teachers alike. The garden will serve as a major instrument for teachers to bring the fore of their science curriculums to the need for more environmental sustainability and is one of a series of new School initiatives to feature the environment as a natural extension of the classroom. "The purpose of the Hawken EcoGarden is to increase the appreciation of nature and our environment, with an emphasis on self-sustaining eco-systems, trees and plant life, recycling, and alternative energy sources," said Dan Geller, a 1981 Hawken graduate and owner of Fish Furniture. The project is funded by a grant from an endowment created by Geller`s parents, Norma and Al. The garden has a variety of trees, plants and shrubs, a waterfall and a self-sustaining eco-pond with plants, rock, running water and fish. A composting pile made from lunch food scraps and outdoor clippings will introduce students to practical ways of recycling and a compact solar energy panel will power the garden`s lighting and introduce the concept of alternative energies. In addition herb, annual, vegetable, bulb and perennial plots will give students the opportunity to try their hands at horticulture. Lower School science teachers Michelle Rose and Todd Webster have thoughtfully developed curricular units that will bring the love of the outdoors into the classroom. "Few schools anywhere have room for gardens, much less an eco-garden with the size and scope of the one provided," said Bob Wiemer, a Hawken seventh grade science teacher, who worked on the garden`s design team. When you`re at the Lyndhurst Campus, be sure to visit the EcoGarden and enjoy the beauty and tranquility of this unique learning space.