Pictures:
Community building games during field trips with middle school students from Harwood
Photo credit: Melanie Grubman
With the support of the Mad River Valley Rotary Club, Living Tree Alliance is hosting over 200 students at its Moretown-based regenerative agriculture center this fall. Its location, adjacent to the school, combined with teaching staff's certifications and experience in public schools, outdoor education centers, and Waldorf schools, fosters this partnership, according to school director spokesperson Melanie Grubman
In October, Living Tree's collective collaborated with seventh-grade science teacher Erin Silcox to provide students with practical experience as scientists. After team-building activities on the farm, students honed their observation skills by taking soil samples, measuring, and comparing crops grown in the greenhouse versus the field, and calculating sunflower ratios. They walked to the farm field three times over a three-week period.
Additionally, the entire middle school participated in a recent day of service at the farm, assisting with various tasks. They also celebrated the harvest by pressing apples, playing gaga, and sharing carrots and homemade dip under a woven harvest hut. Students learned that preparing for the winter can be educational and fun with trampoline leaps into the pile of leaves that they raked. These leaves were pulled with team effort to mulch the garlic patch.
At the end of this month, Living Tree Alliance will continue its multi-year relationship with Harwood's physical education teacher, Peter Arsenault, and sustainability teacher, Alison Crocker. Students will tour Living Tree's practices that promote community sustainability and healthy living. They will make fire cider, learn about seasonal eating, and help prepare the community orchard for winter.
Living Tree Alliance develops programs focused on seasonal living, sustainable regenerative farming practices, and intergenerational intentional living. Programs include, cooking, harvesting, community service and team building and occur throughout the year. In the winter, school staff invite local elementary schools to participate in wood-fired sugaring operation and hear story and song by the fire while reinforcing STEM lessons on the states of matter.
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