Randall’s Island Learning Garden

Currently, only a handful of New York City public schools have an active school garden program. That's where the Randall's Island Learning Garden comes in.

Created in April 22, 2010
(on Earth Day) Randall's Island is the result of the combined effort of Randall's Island Park Alliance, GrowNYC and over 50 Bloomberg volunteers who helped to plant the 3,000 square foot working garden made up of vegetable beds filled with kale, peppers, tomatoes, artichoke, "cheddar" cauliflower, eggplant, edible nasturtium, leek, burgundy string beans, strawberry patch, blueberry bushes, and raspberries.  Children not only grow vegetables here, they also harvest and learn to cook them too.

It's a unique place for students whose schools don't yet have a garden to come and get their hands dirty, while healthful eating, exercise and the natural world.

This past summer, Randall's Island put educated over 100 summer day camp kids 6-16 yrs. old "to work" in the garden planting seeds, harvesting beans, tasting "kale slaw", feeding the compost pig, collecting insects to identify and drinking watermelon "agua fresca" with mint straight from the garden.
 


The students also built a 3-bin compost system and  a "ROLY-POLY Compost pig" that students can feed and then tumble on the large adjacent soccer field.

With convenient restrooms nearby, picnic area and playground right next to each other Randall's Island is great choice for an enriching and very affordable school field trip.
 
Interested schools can contact  Phyllis Odyssey, Phyllis.Odessey@parks.nyc.gov, to schedule a field trip or complete a form.

 GrowNYC is partnering, once again, with Randall's Island Park Alliance and a new sponsor Bloomberg, LLP, who is interested in adopting the garden to help build a shade structure, rainwater collecting system, cold frames and a tool shed.

Randall's Island Learning Garden is a place where schools that may not have a garden can come by and get their hands dirty, learning about the healthful eating, exercise and the natural world at the same time.

 

 

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