Welcome everyone to our monthly E-Newsletter, supporting a network of school garden advocates! We will keep you updated on the latest news and work being done across school gardens programs here in Newark, New Jersey, and the best resources from across the country.   

Looking for a specific resource? Interested in having your own resources published? Reach out to us to discuss more at pevans@citybloom.org and we will be more than happy to help.

We will be welcoming 5 new FoodCorps members to our team this year at Greater Newark Conservancy. Our FoodCorps members will work with many Newark schools this upcoming school year including Harriet Tubman, Thirteenth Avenue, Avon Avenue, Hawthorne Avenue, Lincoln, Mt. Vernon and McKinley School!

Greater Newark Conservancy works with FoodCorps to facilitate school gardens and food education throughout Newark schools. In school gardens, kids participate in seed to plate cultivation and in classrooms and school cafeterias kids contribute to creating recipes and tasting the bounty of the earth.  In the garden and classroom kids are engaged in hands-on science, tackling real world problems. During classroom opportunities students get first-hand experience with whole foods, putting flavor and sizzle into nutrition education.   

The Conservancy’s FoodCorps members support the work of the Coalition for Healthy Food in Newark Schools to sustainably transform Newark’s school food system ensuring that every student in Newark has access to nourishing, culturally relevant, delicious food in school and connected nutrition education. 

Learn more about FoodCorps here! 

Register your school garden to be a part of our Newark School Garden Support Network and see where other school gardens are located near you!

These Family Programs are great to enjoy with your little ones, but you can join in on your own for an informal professional development session. They are an opportunity to see ways our environmental educators encourage kids to develop wonder, make observations, construct understanding, and engage in science conversations.  You can also learn some cool crafts, healthy recipes, and ways to incorporate more hands-on, engaged learning.

4-H Essex County Presents Pollinator Robot

In-Person

Friday, August 9th @ 1:00-4:00pm - Branch Brook Park Cherry Blossom Center

Friday, August 16th @ 1:00-4:00pm - Eden Farm 44 Elizabeth Ave, Newark NJ

Join 4-H Essex County for two workshops on identifying various pollinators, understanding the importance of pollination, exploring the relationship between plants and pollinators, and learning how to use Sphero Bolts! 

REGISTER HERE

Second Saturday Family Adventures

In-Person

Saturday, August 10th @ 10:30-12pm

Summer is here and we're going to keep it cool by taking a dive into water. Join us at Greater Newark Conservancy as we'll play with sinkers and floaters, engineer a boat, explore our pond, and learn all about the wonders of water!

This program is free, but registration is required! If we hit capacity, please reach out to pevans@citybloom.org to be placed on the waitlist!

REGISTER HERE

American Community Gardening Association Conference

In-Person

September 25th - September 28th

Join the largest North American gathering of community gardening and urban farming enthusiasts! This year's theme, "Growing Greener Generations: Community Gardening for a Sustainable Future," will guide this exciting program in Wellesley, Boston, and surrounding areas.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

School gardens have been around for decades, serving as a place for students to learn, grow, and play in a natural environment outside the traditional school walls. They are places where children can roam free, connecting to the earth, one little seedling at a time. Listen to the many students impacted by the school garden programming facilitated by Greater Newark Conservancy!

This month's Jersey Fresh Harvest of the Month in August is Peaches! Peaches are in season in New Jersey during late summer, from late July through September. NJ is one of the top producing states for peaches, ranking third in the nation behind California and South Carolina. Learn more about peaches here.

The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project partnered with chefs and teachers to identify key components of bringing a successful cooking class to students. This resource is filled with tons of helpful information for both educators and chefs. Check out this resource here!

What vegetable does a sailor hate?

 Leeks!

Source: Wisconsin School Garden Network

Interested in bringing your students to the Outdoor Learning Center at Greater Newark Conservancy to experience the joy of nature-based education? Fill out this Field Trip Interest Form! We offer a variety of field trip programs that will spark the interest of any youth. Whether they are learning about urban habitats, diving into the world of bugs and insects, or seeing how worms can break down our food into a valuable soil amendment, your students will leave our site with a host of knowledge! For more information reach out to soleary@citybloom.org.

The work that we do would not be possible without the generosity of our donors. While we had to put some of our on-site programs temporarily on hold during the COVID-19 crisis, we are back to normal operations and ramping up a number of programs and activities at our Outdoor Learning Center, the Hawthorne Avenue Urban Farm, school partner gardens, as well as various virtual workshops.