Ms. Maggio shares that on May 3rd, volunteers from Stuy's Environmental Club went to Battery Urban Farm for the first day of work. It was the first day students were participating in the Stewardship Lab program, which engages students in hands-on work around the topics of climate change and sustainability, food justice, biology and chemistry, and civic engagement at Battery Urban farm. The students from all grades planted Swiss chard, pulled some weeds and then harvested pea shoots we were able to take home! Looking forward to seeing how the farm blooms over the next two months as they continue weekly volunteer days.
The Battery Conservancy's Stewardship Lab is designed to expose the group of Environmental Club volunteers to hands-on experiences in the field of environmental science and conservation. As participants in this program, students work directly with farm staff on a weekly basis, engaging with the urban farm space or the park, and will include the planting, maintenance, and harvest of the vegetable and forest farms, as well as opportunities to monitor the ecological health of the terrestrial and marine ecosystems.
This is a new program to replace the School Plot Program the farm used to have. PreCovid, the Environmental Club had their own berm at the farm that they planted and maintained all spring, summer and fall, and from which they harvested tomatoes, strawberries, cucumbers, beans, eggplants, herbs and flowers. Although they are sad that program ended, they are excited to have the opportunity to learn about and help care for the entire farm this year.
