School Profile: Worms and Hummingbirds in School Garden Inspire Kids to Care About Environment

Principal Salwa Zaki with students in the Feinstein Elementary School garden class.

“I like how you can explore in the garden,” explains a first grader. She has gathered leaves and twigs and is experimenting with how a bird might fashion its habitat. The exercise is part of a long-running and very popular outdoor education program that flourishes in the schoolyard garden at Dianne Feinstein Elementary School. 

Elena Rivera, an AmeriCorps volunteer, is this year’s “farmer,” leading daily classes for kindergarteners through fifth graders and those with special needs. She uses an ecoliteracy course of study developed by Climate Corps Education Outside, a nonprofit that provides teaching fellows at about 30 Bay Area schools. Program costs are covered by the PTA and other grants. Funding assistance is always needed.  

Rivera leads each grade through a developmentally appropriate curriculum. First graders, for example, focus on the structure, function, and life cycles of organisms. Like Sophie, they gather materials from the garden to make models of habitats. This way, they explore how animals protect themselves and meet their biological needs. 

Fifth graders delve into the water cycle, examining the California water system and vulnerability to drought. In a culminating project, students design and build models of rainwater catchment systems in the garden. 

“Our students love it,” says school principal Salwa Zaki, and their enthusiasm is obvious. Youngsters may excitedly spot a hummingbird or find a worm. Some visit the garden during recess to check on certain plants or help with watering. Parents enjoy the garden as well, pitching in on maintenance during community work days. 

“Even when I am not teaching a class, students are finding ways to spend more time in the garden,” Rivera says. “We know that kids having these outdoor spaces and experiences grow up to be more ecologically responsible.”

Rivera’s goal is to offer learning opportunities that encourage the students to interact with the natural materials in the garden.

“Whether a child is four or twelve,” Rivera says, “it is always good for them to get their hands in the soil and observe the world around them.” 

Reported and written by volunteer community journalist Jan Cook. We encourage retired journalists and student journalists in high school and college to volunteer as writers for Supervisor Engardio’s newsletter. Interested? Apply here. Do you know a story you would like to see featured in the newsletter? Tell us about it here.