Thanks to support from the Gardening for Good Fund at the Community Foundation of Broward, students in Broward College’s Environmental Science Bachelor of Science program have been able to cultivate a “Teaching Garden” on the A. Hugh Adams Central Campus. This support also established six two-semester-long internships to provide training and student projects that will focus on community gardening, urban agriculture and agricultural education.

“Gardening, especially with tropical and native plants, is helping me connect with the natural world around me, along with earth’s processes and how each little creature plays a part. Bringing home freshly picked produce that’s flourishing with healthy gut-bacteria is an added plus.” – Imani Newton, Intern

The latest garden expansion established a “food forest.” While the fruit trees are growing into their footprint, the students have been creating the educational signage for the trees and garden, maintaining aesthetics of the garden, and planting row crops in the food forest area. Under guidance, the students have also been selecting, planning, planting, and harvesting row crops. The harvest was distributed and consumed by Environmental Science students and other Broward College students impacted financially by COVID-19.

Although the college remains largely remote/online due to COVID-19, there is still have a good amount of foot traffic going through the garden.  The college campus is an “open campus” meaning that the general public can walk through.  Many area residents walking and exercising on campus have been seen reading the signs and experiencing the garden.  Students that are attending in-person classes have also been seen enjoying the garden.  Most recently, the Florida Children’s Theater has moved into the Broward College building directly next to the garden.  This group hosts after-school programs for Broward residents and the students and parents have experienced the garden, many using the self-guiding layout. Students have discussed the importance of urban/community gardens and food forests with quite a few people, including from the Florida Children’s Theater.

Student Garden Interns (Alex, Kaitlin, and Imani) along with work-study student (Dianed).

“Working at the garden it’s truly rewarding. We have built a culture that allows us to connect with the environment more and to learn how it changes. It’s loads of fun.” – Dianed Gonzalez, Work Study Student

Learn more about Broward College’s Teaching Garden. If you are interested in contributing additional funding to enhance or add capacity to the garden project, email Jim DeChant.