A year of growth and loss in the skybridge garden

Soil Health class rejuvenates neglected plant beds

The strawberry vine lifts up its shapely leaves towards the moody sky: a week of storms, a week of relentless sun, a week of fog, a week of warm breezes. In the drippy winter mildew, the fruits of the once-cheery strawberry plant have festered and forgone their shape, their sweet juices turning acrid and vinegary. The vines, having taken over an entire raised garden bed, have to be removed. The work to remove them is arduous and long. Hack at the root, yank from the base, heartily knock the dirt off on the concrete wall to the garden plot, and add the strawberry carcass to the growing compost pile.

On the outdoor walkway between the WRC and the gym lies the beloved skybridge garden. Previously tended to by student volunteers and clubs, the Soil Health: Innovations and Technology class took over caretaking this year.

One of the main focuses of the class, which is taught by Director of Environmental Citizenship Sarah Koning, has been to improve the quality of the soil using strategies like nitrogen-fixing, cover crops, clearing out dead plants, and generally managing the plants more attentively.

“We put a lot of care and love into it,” said Mirabella K. ’24, who is a student in the class. “We weeded, watered, added bokashi compost, and planted new species.”

Soon, the class began to see the fruits of their labor literally blossom into being.

“The skybridge has transformed in terms of its vitality,” said Julia T. ‘24, another student in the class. “When we first started, some of the beds were sand or swamped. Now we have some that we can harvest and actually use and eat. Seeing the soil become more nutrient-rich during our time in this class has been so rewarding.”

Edible plants include beans, fruits, leaves, and even flowers. The orange nasturtium flower bears a spicy and unexpected kick to its petals, the chard and lettuce have healthily shot up, and fava bean stalks bare their plump green pods, almost ready to be harvested.

Species new to the skybridge garden have found their home: sweet peas with delicate purple and white flowers, soft and fuzzy mint, chamomile and its tender blooms. Synchronously, some existing species have been renewed, like the “three sisters” of Indigenous crops: corn, beans, and squash.

“It’s a lot healthier now,” added Mateo C. ’24. “There are still some invasive plants, but the new ones we planted seem to be thriving.”

The plants weren’t the only ones new to the garden. Students have appreciated the opportunity to step outside of their comfort zones and get their hands dirty.

“I think it was a cool experience to check out a new part of Nueva I hadn’t spent time in before and I loved helping improve it,” Emma Z. ’25 said.

Hopes for the coming school year include the continued stewardship of the space and getting students and staff excited about harvesting what’s seasonally available.

“Teddy [C. ’25] was the first one to take me up on it,” Jackson said. “I gave him a simple cut. It was right here, in the Rosenberg courtyard.” legislation at a glance: 491 state-level bills introduced so far in 2023 targeting LGBTQ+ rights, a record number

Reflecting on the lessons he has learned through the dozens of haircuts he has given—to both himself and friends alike— Jackson notes that patience is chief among them.

“Patience is a big thing, especially in the long term because I had to wait a long time before I started giving decent haircuts,” he said.

Jackson will be closing up shop for the summer. Will he return in the fall? Only time will tell.

Of those bills: 74 have been signed into law

283 target education around gender and sexualityrelated topics

130 prevent transgender youth from receiving gender-affirming healthcare 45 prevent transgender youth from playing on gender-affirming sports teams