Bay Ridge
Standing O is giving out green thumbs to the students at St. Anselm Catholic Academy for planting, pruning, and implementing a keyhole garden of their own.
The fourth-graders learned all about how Catholic Relief Services has helped people in drought-stricken regions successfully grow crops using keyhole gardens, which are designed to use recycled material and water to grow certain crops. Keyhole gardens use cardboard to hold in moisture to reduce need for watering, gravel filters so that growers can use dishwater to water their crops, and many more innovations.
The budding farmers watched a video showing how villagers collaborated to construct a keyhole garden using cardboard, leaves, and tin cans, and then under the supervision of STEM lab teacher Christine Deem, they created individual versions of these gardens using recycled material. Plastic soda caps were provided as an alternate watering method in case students did not have access to spray bottles at home.
The students planted wheatgrass and one type of herb in their individual keyhole gardens and brought them home to grow.
What a way to celebrate Mother Nature and Earth Day.
St. Anselm Catholic Academy [365 83rd St. at Third Avenue in Bay Ridge, (718) 745–7643].
