1
THE DAILY DIRT Isabel, Molly, Zoe Letter From The Editor Volume 1, Issue 1
Dear Readers,
It also gave me a The Soil Unit was chance to bond with an interesting experi- people I never really ence. The field trip talked to before. Just to the Arlington like in the Water Gardens was very Unit, I learned very fun and relaxing. I depressing also learned a lot of knowledge about new things, like what we are doing to what community our planet. But, forgardens and mulch tunately, I learned are, how much bac- how to save it from teria are on certain the hands of the organisms, and how generation before seed balls are made. me. I can’t undo
5/29/2014
Inside this issue: Letter From the Edi-
2
The Tree
2
My Love
3
A Day on The Moon
3
Pomegranate Blossom 4 Barbaric Soil Yawp
5
Letter From the Edi-
7
Letter From The Editor
7
The Consistency of
8
The Fungus Among 9 Us: Organism of the and Year 11 The Difference
11
Who Wore it Best? Untitled
East New York Farms!
From, Zoe
The Tree by Molly M.
Thwack.
Scoop.
12
Fir.
Thwack.
Smooth.
8
Tree.
Down.
Needles.
Down.
Poke.
Down.
Tall.
Whir.
Whack.
Whir.
Whack.
Whir.
Whack.
Scoop.
Thwack.
Smooth.
10
what has already been done, but hopefully, with my newfound understanding of the situation we are in, I will be able to set things right.
It’s like the fir tree was never even there.
2
Page 3 THE DAILY DIRT
Page 3
My Love Zoe D.
My history beats the soil with cement and poison
Soil, dirt, mud, dust, clay.
My mother is sick.
Synonyms upon synonyms for the one that brings us life.
Dying, as my brothers and sisters cease to exist.
As it grows and shifts in the wind, my body slowly crumbles like a sand castle
Choking on toxic air. Everything is disappearing Cast in a coffin of pitch black tar
Returning to open arms As I fall into the deep, quiet abyss.
My soil, who gently nurtured my food, my air, my life
Is now imprisoned by pesticides that torture her into speeding up life. She now gives birth to strangers Who make people sick. When will she be at peace? When Will It End?
A Day On the Moon “Above me is a sky that once shined like the ocean.�
Zoe D.
dreds of shades fills up my eyes.
Above me is a sky that once shined like the ocean.
Emerald, olive, lime. Gentle laughing chimes in my ears
A sky that has been beaten down by years of pollution.
Waltzing with the cars and the wind.
It is a pale grayish-blue ghost of what it once was.
Soil and grape popsicle play a symphony on my nose.
Almost like fog.
Rainbow plates of glass twirl in the breeze
A sea of green in hun-
3
Scraping my fingers with their chalk petals. A bottle of water ripples next to me Bent from a mysterious hand. The Jacaranda tree screams purple at the ground. Ants march over the surface of the moon While the wind plays them a song.
Page 4
THE DAILY DIRT
Pomegranate Blossom– Isabel Focusing on the coral blossoms, I shut out the shouting girls somewhere near the Labyrinth. Small bits of coral among the green and beige foliage of rosemary and sage, Like stars on the midnight blue canvas called night. As I look around, I see more of the green and beige atmosphere, Where everything but the pomegranate blossoms blend into one another. The leaves of the tree are a vivid kelly green, Their shade much loved by my peers. A slight breeze passes through the garden, And we continue to enjoy our popsicles, mine being blue raspberry. With the breeze, the slight smell of many herbs rush whimsically to my senses, Lavender, sage, rosemary. My gaze drifts back to the pomegranate blossoms, Now swaying due to the elderly woman prodding at the tree to see the fruits. The blossoms are a beautiful contrast to the green of the garden, I think about what it would be like if I was a little pomegranate blossom. I would be a small little thing growing into something larger and greater, and then I would be done with my time on Earth. A pomegranate blossom, Just like a human. But I realize that their beauty is not forever. The blossom will grow up, become a tart green fruit and then one that is red and sweet. I fade out of my daydream and notice the stillness of everything. Not the slightest movement anywhere. The world seems to have stopped. A small hat in the distance pops up from behind a pine tree before I begin to panic. The one wearing the bucket hat turns around to observe some other plant, and I notice that I have had sighted the rare Mr. Cross in his natural habitat. He seems to hurry away and I wonder if I had scared him. Another breeze, this one more powerful than the last, and I hear the rattle of the leaves of the pomegranate tree. That one tree, and I had gotten lost in thought, about the pomegranate blossoms... Because... I am a pomegranate blossom.
4
Barbaric Soil Yawp– Isabel The shaded gravel under me, causes slight imprints on the balls of my feet. With every step my feet burn more, but not as much as when I stand in the burning gravel. The Southern California sun scorches everything in sight. I run to get out of the sunlight and rest in the shade of an Oleander. My feet are now in the hard dirt, Almost rock solid with very little give. I prod the hard dirt with a hoe. The dirt is dry and chips away in large chunks. I find small rocks embedded in this fossil-like dirt. The little rocks I find are beautiful. Gems within the dirt. Like life, A great moment within many miserable ones. The ones we cherish forever. I continue to prod at the dirt, now fading in and out of a daydream. I remember spending almost every day in my backyard. Moving gravel to the side, digging a big hole, Filling it with water, jumping into the mud, The water seeping into the soil and evaporating before I could enjoy a minute of my mud bath. Then going to the raised bed of grass, And lying in it. My dogs trots into the backyard then back indoors due to the heat. The grass is cool, And makes me extremely itchy. I get up and walk away, Furiously scratching myself. I walk inside, grab a cherry popsicle, And watch as my babysitter runs over with calamine lotion. I do not fight the slathering of the lotion, I had fought it in the past. But now that I had been mudbathing and lying in grass for quite some time, I don’t mind it.
5
6
Volume 1, Issue 1
Page 7
Letter from the Editor Dear readers of The Daily Dirt, This magazine is the culmination of our studies during the soil unit. The soil unit taught us students a lot about soil, but it also showed us how if one element is affected, then all the others are affected as well. We are all connected in the big picture. This isn’t only a truth, but a way of thinking. If we only think of ourselves, our smaller selves, we don’t think of how we will
So here’s where you all come in. We are all connected, and we need to conserve as much water as possible, regardless if we’re living in California or not. I know I’ve been talking about water a lot, but if there is no water the soil will become dry and unable to support plant life. Plant life is the basis of our food source. Even if you
affect others and how they may affect us. If we think of others and the way we are all interconnected, and how we need to care for each other, we will start to think of one’s larger self. Larger self and smaller self don’t just pertain to other humans, this also pertains to the water, the trees, the air and the soil beneath our feet. Every night as I reflected upon the path of
only ate meat you would still be connected to plants being eaten by the animal you’re eating. There isn’t an endless supply of water out there for us so we need to use it wisely. It is true that there are desalination plants that can convert ocean water into drinking water, but what impact will that have on the marine life? Would all of our
the day in our soil unit, I couldn’t help but notice how much the soil unit was intertwined with water. Earlier in the year we studied water and the need for clean water all over the world and helped some school children in Africa get a clean water well. This morning, in central California, thousands of people turned on the tap and nothing came out. Now the people in Africa aren’t the only ones desperate for their next sip of water. There
fish disappear? Soil supports a thriving ecosystem, and the responsibility of maintaining the soil rests on our shoulders. We are all truly connected to dirt.
Overall, as the soil unit progressed, I had more and more fun. I have to say, the beginning of the soil unit was boring and I didn’t enjoy it. As the days have gone on, I have found myself more surprised and proud with my work in the soil unit. I really enjoyed the day when we had rotations throughout the day. I like having hands-on experiences, but it was even better that we were planting stuff at our own school! We had mulched/ weeded in the Altadena area,
but making seed balls with Ted (aka- Alvin) was much more fun. Also, I believe that as we worked together during our rotations and when we were mulching, we really bonded with our friends and classmates. It was really fun seeing people making games out of mulching. I ended up learning more the last day of the soil unit, than any other day of the soil unit. I learned so much through this experience, and I felt really proud knowing a few more things that my parents. As much fun
“We are all connected in the big picture.”
Sincerely, Molly Mullane
Letter From the Editor Dear readers,
is a huge crisis going on and its affects aren’t just tied to the people in California. If you’re not living in California you may think that it’s only the Californian’s problem, but these are the things that tie us all together. This is your wakeup call! How scary is it to not know when your next sip of water will be? I know I would be scared out of my wits.
as the soil unit was, there were a few challenging tasks I had to complete. When we were using the PVC pipe to create the compost tubes, I had a really hard time sawing the tube. Later in that rotation, I also ran into some large tree roots and I had to figure out how to shift the direction of my tube. Another challenging task that I faced was writing my Barbaric Yawp. This poem was not explained very much, and I couldn’t figure out what my subject of the poem should be. I was supposed to 7
talk about my connections with the Earth, I ended up talking about water. Not exactly soil, but water is a big part of soil; the making of new soil, keeping the soil livable for some organisms, etc. My Barbaric Yawp was very strange but I talked about some cartoon characters and emotions of water and how the mimic humans. I really loved the soil unit, which was a little surprising because I thought that the whole unit would be like the first few days. Sincerely, Isabel K.
The Consistency of The Sky Constant, consistent sky. It stretches around us like a shield. Though the clouds may drift and the weather may
lean and slender, it’s a paint brush against the sky. The path that guided us through the garden smells
change,
like weeping toes, dressed with
it’s nice to know that there will always be the
blood and toe tape,
constant sky.
sweet. An olive leaf hanging from the tree.
Far away, across the street,
Its dull green color
muted, musty and faintly
against a pale blue curtain,
matches its scent.
a palm tree stretches
Artificial
up. Top-heavy yet limber,
orange
It’s from a sticky, melting
thin and
popsicle.
deprived, reaching
The white
out and receiving
butterfly flows
nothing. Starved
through the air the way
for what?
milk flows
Who will grab
from a bottle.
his hand
Unseen, but heard
before it snaps.
loud and clear,
by Molly Mullane
the broken-record bird. The hand of an old Jew under the red rage of Hitler,
scents my hand.
Untitled by Zoe D.
8
The Fungus Among Us: Organism of the Year By Isabel K., Zoe D. and Molly M. According to the dictionary, an overachiever is, ‘someone who has much more success than is normal or expected’. To us, an overachiever is a saprophyte. A saprophyte can be a bacteria or a fungus. Some sources say that a saprophyte can be a plant, but more recently it has been determined that plants aren’t saprophytes. Saprophytes are able to cohesively obtain their nutrition and give the soil many of the essential nutrients it needs. Saprophytes work tirelessly to help make our soil healthier. Not only do they compete with heavy rainfall and other extreme weather conditions to keep nutrients in the soil, but they have the job of clearing away dead organisms! As if that isn’t enough, they aren’t only decomposers, they’re recyclers as well. They break down vege-
tation that hold much
Soil is responsible for the
nutritional value and re-
growth of every single
lease these nutrients back
plant alive. And because
to the soil for other plants
of plants, we are able to
to use. Saprophytes make
eat food, raise livestock,
life as healthy as possible
and breathe, because with-
for many plants when
out plants, we wouldn’t
they recycle the nutrients.
be able to breathe! Also,
A few of the things that
tropical rainforests like
they recycle are carbon,
the Amazon help keep the
nitrogen and many varie-
Earth cool by trapping
ties of essential mineral
carbon dioxide and evapo-
nutrients.
rating water that forms
clouds. Soil erosion is a natural process that affects all landforms, which is the wearing away of a field’s topsoil by physical forces of water and wind. However, soil erosion in farming has become a serious problem. Half the topsoil on planet Earth has been lost in the last 150 years.
9
East New York Farms!
left East New York with many vacant lots, many landlords rushed to sell their property because of the drop in property value.
http://www.eastnewyorkfarms.org/
by Molly M. In the early 1900’s New Lots was one of the top vegetable-producing parts of New York. New Lots currently makes up the great majority of East New York. East New York, at the time, was primarily white, but many Puerto Ricans and Black began moving there in the 1950’s. Much of the white community left the area creating a huge decrease in the amount of white people living in the area at the time. The sudden, vast decrease of the population
As more and more people left the area, the city began to withdraw many of the services in hope of encouraging residents to move and altogether cutting costs. Many vacant properties were burned down or destroyed. This turned East New York into a drug and violence magnet. In 1973 Green Guerillas was founded to help change vacant lots into gardens. More projects began to pop up that supplied urban gardeners with tools and basic training. Even with the new development in housing, violence was still a looming problem in East New York. The Pratt Institute Center for Community and Environmental Development wanted to start a project on developing community in several parts of New York, including East New York! A survey was distributed to the residents. Many of the residents wanted more safe public spaces and green spaces. There was a wide need for fresh, local produce at a good price and more opportunities for East New
10
York’s youth. The results also showed the resident's enthusiasm toward the many urban gardens and the people who had initiated them. Many organizations and these enthusiastic residents came together to create the East New York Farms! project. Their goal is to further utilize these resources. East New York Farms! now has a thriving farmer’s market and two community farms. Every year they work with many youth interns and adults to teach them more about community and gardening. The East New York Farms! project is still working hard on its original goal and is expanding. However, they still have many challenges and need more supplies. Even if we don’t live in East New York there are many ways that we can help them. I also encourage you to find similar projects and organization in your area, and if there aren’t any, initiate it yourself.
Fresh produce is grown at local, urban or community farms and sold at a farmer’s market that was started by East New York Farms!
The Fungus Among Us: Organism of the Year cont. Soil erosion also affects many other aspects of agriculture, like compaction,
of crops severely damages the soil.
Many fungi fall under the title of saprophyte. Truffles
loss of structure, degradation, and soil
Their role in decomposing is im-
are an example of this. Truf-
salinity. Other that affecting the agri-
portant as well as in recycling. They
fles create a mutual, benefi-
cultural land, soil erosion causes pollu-
decompose certain pollutants that
cial association with soil.
tion and sedimentation which clogs
are toxic to plants. This results over-
Saprophytes deserve this
waterways and kills many fish. When
all in healthier soil. Even though
award because they work so
it rains, the water runs off into
saprophytes make such a big differ-
hard, yet they never get any
streams. In the process, it picks up
ence in the condition of the soil and
credit for it. Because of
pesticides from the soil as well as the
are working constantly, some of
them, our soil is healthy and
plants themselves, destroying both the
them are so small that they can’t be
nutrient-filled enough to
field and the streams it runs off into.
seen with the naked eye! These fungi
support most of life on
And, over time, the soil becomes una-
and bacteria find a way to make eve-
Earth.
ble to hold the roots of the plants, and
ryone benefit when they consume
the constant planting and removing
food from the soil.
The Difference A city of smoke, Of tears, Or death. Another city, But different from the first‌ This one is a city of love, Of health, Of life. The cities are almost the same, One has a mini-mart,
A man drives to the minimart to get a Twinkie.
A healthier world.
In the healthy city,
The soil supports us in everything
Another man walks into his backyard for some lettuce and tomatoes
If only‌ Everyone would realize,
The difference that the soil makes is unreal.
Realize what they are doing to themselves,
The man with the Twinkie goes home and watches TV.
And their world.
One has sustainable people.
The healthier man goes to spend time with his family.
In the miserable city,
A healthier life, 11
By Isabel Kitson
Who Wore it Best?
12
13