GreatNonProfits 2009 Green Choice Winner!

GreatNonProfits 2009 Green Choice Winner!
Green Choice Winner 2009

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Rebuilding Together was a great success!

Rebuilding Together made our dreams come true! It was really spectacular. We were able to do a lot of great work both in Koshland Garden and John Muir Elementary. All the volunteers were so great and helpful, their hard work makes such a difference, and is so appreciated!

Here are some of the highlights that we are left with:

1. New garden planter boxes full of herbs on the playground at John Muir Elementary!
These planters were reconstructed, repainted, and planted with lavender, rosemary, lamb's ears and yarrow, thanks to Rebuilding Together.

2. New mostly Native Plant Garden!
We planted the old school garden with lots of native plants, and pruned back the plants that were already there. We hope this will now be a place where students can come to learn about native plants and their uses, observe native wildlife, and learn the importance of preserving native habitat. It is beautiful, and we look forward to all the changes that will come as all the plants grow in and get wild!

3. Tree wells on Webster and Page get a makeover!
The tree wells were reconstructed, repainted, weeded and seeded with California wildflowers. They are now brightly colored, and look like a rainbow as you walk up the street. It looks so much more cheerful and beautiful on those blocks now, it made a huge difference.

4. Improved Shade Garden at Koshland!
Rebuilding Together also spent a lot of time at Koshland, adding and sifting compost to lots of beds, repairing our compost sifter, hauling bricks out to the new Native Plant garden, and helping us arrange the new herb bed, soon to be completed! The best was the improvements in the Shade Garden- they planted a few different Columbine and two Coral Bells that look gorgeous. Check it out!

A million thanks, it all looks so beautiful. We cannot say enough good things about all the great work Rebuilding Together did with us, we hope to have them back soon!

Check out photos at:
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=jcpslhg.3bubkyrc&x=0&y=-su3160&localeid=en_US

Saturday, April 19, 2008

BEET Rangers and IYEL


Sebron Brown and his new friend from Tree Frog Treks

Today the BEET Rangers went to visit the Inspiring Young Emerging Leaders (I-YEL) program at the Chrissy Field Center. It was also the annual Earth Stroll earth-day celebration event at the Center, so we got the chance to participate in a lot of festivities.

Some of the fun we had was checking out turtles and handling snakes with Tree Frog Treks, making homemade sugar-based bath and beauty scrubs with I-YEL youth, learning about compost with Suzie from Garden for the Environment, and answering Wheel-of-Fortune questions about healthy snacks that could earn you one or more strawberries dipped in melted chocolate- yum!

Over lunch, a few folks from I-YEL talked to us about their experiences in the program, and we got to ask them questions about the many ways they help their environment and community. We learned a lot, and all of the BEET Rangers are eligible to apply for the I-YEL program next year if they are interested.

Saturday, April 05, 2008

BEET Rangers has begun!

Krystal Curtis, Candy Williams, and Calvin Yu get into the compost!

The BEET Ranger green job training internship has begun! We have 14 inspiring and wonderful youth working with us at Koshland Garden. The youth will be participating in workshops and activities with different green businesses and youth environmental education programs throughout San Francisco and the surrounding areas.

We will explore different areas of employment in the green job movement, and learn about environmental and social justice ethics and struggles. At the end of the program, the youth will be able to choose from the different careers and programs we learned about, and we will help match them with a program or job in that field to start them on a career track in the area of green jobs. It's very exciting!


Today we had an orientation to the program, learned the history of Koshland Park and the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Parks group, played games, worked in the garden, and learned about compost. It was a great day, and we are very excited to be working with these youth for the next eight months!


For more information, please contact Elokin: gardenkids@gmail.com



Tuesday, April 01, 2008

April Newsletter!


KOSHLAND GARDEN NEWSLETTER
A Project of the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Parks Group

APRIL 2008 Newsletter Content:
1. Spring in the Garden
2. BEET Ranger Green Job Training Program Update
3. Mark Your Calendars for our Spring Festival - May 17th!
4. Rebuilding Together San Francisco coming to Koshland Garden and John Muir
Elementary School
5. Sharing Spring Recipes
------------------------------
-----------------------------------------
1. Spring in the Garden

It’s officially spring! The garden is teeming with life, ready for a new
cycle. Come see the raspberries returning from winter slumber- there are new
leaves on the stalks, and tiny flowers are getting ready to become raspberries
over the next few months. Students from the Bay School came to visit last
Friday, helping harvest our old lettuce beds, making new space for peas in our
crop rotation. This month we will start preparing beds for our warm-loving
plants such as potatoes, zuchinni, cucumber, and even trying sweet potato this
year! Come catch the last of the pink blossoms on the crabapple trees, and
admire the tulips in some of the community garden plots before they finish for
the season!

The herb garden work is still under way- so far we have laid the foundation,
and will be starting construction this month. Very exciting! Also, community
garden volunteer and future community gardener Will Deeg will soon be creating
a sample container garden, to give folks ideas for what can be planted in
containers at home. Look for all these new changes sprouting up this month!

**Also, we’ve got loads of rainbow chard right now, so if you’d like some,
help yourself.

To get on the waiting list for a garden plot, contact Community Garden
Coordinator:
Nora Brereton (415) 424-5770, noraborealis@juno.com
-----------------------
2. BEET Ranger Update

We officially have the BEET Ranger Team together! This green job training
internship we are offering to Western Addition teens begins this Saturday,
April 5th. We have 15 wonderful and enthusiastic youth who will be
participating in this program, learning how to make a living by caring for
their communities and environment. This month we will have our orientation,
learn about compost, soil ecology and bed preparation, and seeding plants for
spring. The BEET Rangers will be working in Koshland Garden every 2nd and 4th
Wednesday afternoon until summer, getting trained in organic gardening skills.
Come meet them when they help run activities at our Spring Festival, coming
soon on May 17th!

For more info, contact BEET Ranger Program Coordinator: Elokin
gardenkids@gmail.com (415) 643-3638
---------------------
3. Spring Garden Festival—coming up on May 17th
Location: Koshland Park at the corner of Page and Buchanan

We’re starting to plan our Spring Festival! We’ll be doing some park and
garden work in the morning and then celebrating in the afternoon. We’ll have
live music, kids activities, and a veggie BBQ. If you want to help with the
planning or have anything you’d like to contribute please let us know!

For more info, contact Community Garden Coordinator: Nora Brereton (415)
424-5770, noraborealis@juno.com
------------------------
4. Rebuilding Together San Francisco is coming to Koshland Garden and John Muir Elementary School!

Rebuilding Together SF will be coming to help “green” John Muir Elementary
School on Saturday, April 26th. This fabulous program is focused on
revitalizing the on-site educational garden at John Muir, as well as the tree
wells on Page and Webster Street, which surround the school. We will be
transforming the front garden at John Muir into a native plant corridor,
focused on creating habitat that will encourage pollinators such as bees,
butterflies, and hummingbirds. We will also incorporate native plants which are
medicinal to humans, to provide a learning opportunity for students to see the
many uses and values of protecting and encouraging native plants. A sneak peek
of plants to be included in the revitalization include white sage, wild ginger,
yarrow, red and white flowering current, our local lupine, coral bells,
ceanothus, grindelia, and more! To learn more about Rebuilding Together SF,
visit their website at www.rebuildingtogethersf.org
-------------------
5. Spring Recipes!

If you don’t know what to do with last collard greens of the season, here’s
a simple and delicious way to prepare them. Enjoy!

Collard Greens
Ingredients:
15-20 collard green leaves, coarsely chopped
3-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

*Heat oil in a skillet or large pan on medium heat. Add garlic and cook
until just brown.
*Add collard greens and salt. Sauté for 5-10 minutes until stems are soft.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Donate to the Garden!!
Would you like to make a donation to Koshland Garden to support all of our
great programs?
You can send a check (tax-detuctible) to:
300 Page St.
San Francisco, CA 94117
Checks can be made out to the Tides Center/HVNPG

Contact us at the Garden:
Nora Brereton, Garden Educator and Community Garden Coordinator
noraborealis@juno.com (415) 424-5770
Elokin Orton, Garden Educator and BEET Ranger Coordinator
gardenkids@gmail.com (415) 643-3638
Barbara Wenger, Executive Director, Hayes Valley Neighborhood Parks Group
Hvnpg@gmail.com (415) 431-8112
General Email: gardenkids@gmail.com
Blog: www.koshlandgarden.blopspot.com

Koshland Garden is a Project of the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Parks Group-
Creating Programs that enhance the resiliance, safety, and sustainability of
the community http://www.hvnparks.com/

Visit the Garden: Koshland Park and Garden
Corner of Page and Buchanan, San Francisco, CA 94117

Our Office:
John Muir Elementary School, Rm 6
380 Webster St.
San Francisco, California 94117