In the garden

Students and teachers alike are excited about the school garden at Beverly Shores Elementary in Leesburg. According to Lynda Ferguson, a curriculum resource teacher at Beverly Shores, “The idea is to teach our children a little bit more about where the food comes from, how does it grow…and then being able eat the foods they grow.”

Teacher Chloe Lyals says, “We let the kids decide what they want to plant and then do research about what crops are native to Florida, especially this time of the year.” Lyals and colleague Stephanie Bentley are incorporating STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, Math) lessons in the classroom to go along with learning activities in the field.

There are currently six garden beds, with plans to build four more. Getting the community involved with donations of seeds and other garden needs is also a goal the school wants to emphasize. If you’d like to donate or help in other ways, call the school at 352.787.4175.