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.

What an incredible day at Greenfest Newark the other Saturday at Nat Turner Park! Thank you to everyone who joined us and to all the vendors who brought sustainability to life with their engaging activities and eco-friendly products. Most importantly, thank you to the organizers of the event who made it all possible. 

We were thrilled to see so many community members come together to learn, share, and commit to more sustainable practices. From interactive workshops to informative booths, each vendor played a pivotal role in making this event a success.

Let’s keep the momentum going and continue to work towards a greener, more sustainable Newark.

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.

Foodie Fun Nights

In-Person

Wednesday, October 9th @ 4:00-6:00pm

Join us for a conversation about Newark School Meals, open to all ages at the Newark Public Library Weequahic Branch on Wednesday, October 9th from 4-6pm. We will be hosting a documentary, paired with a food demonstration!

REGISTER HERE

Second Saturday Family Adventures

In-Person

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

Get ready to rock at our next Second Saturday Family Adventure on October 12th, from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM! 'Geology Rocks!' offers a fascinating journey into the world of rocks, minerals, and fossils. This brand-new program promises an educational and exciting morning filled with geological discoveries. Whether you’re a budding scientist or simply curious about the natural world, this event is perfect for all ages. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to uncover the secrets beneath our feet and explore our planet's rich geological history.

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

KidsGardening Presents: Gathering STEAM

Virtual

Thursday, October 3rd @ 7:00pm

Join KidsGardening for a webinar about engaging kids with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) projects geared for the garden. Educators will share their experiences using composting, soil science, Square Foot Gardening, and a veggie derby to teach STEAM concepts! This webinar is presented in partnership with our friends at Square Foot Gardening Foundation.

REGISTER HERE

SGSO Network Presents: Cafeteria to Compost- School Based Composting Programs

Virtual

Wednesday, October 16th @ 2:00pm 

Garden School Foundation will present about their Cafeteria to Compost Program, a food waste recovery and diversion program that takes place inside elementary schools cafeteria. This webinar will include an overview and history of their program, the impact of the program in the last school year, a menu of programming options that they are developing, and next steps if you are a school, teacher, or district interested in adopting an on-campus food waste diversion program.

REGISTER HERE

Celebrating Cultural Inclusion in the Garden

KidsGardening is happy to announce our newest e-course "Celebrating Cultural Inclusion in the School Garden!" This free e-course supports educators as they learn how to center cultural learning in their school garden program with a new curriculum of lesson plans, growing guides, and more. Its creation was supported in part by the USDA Patrick Leahy Farm to School Program.

This is a self-paced with unlimited access to the course materials.

REGISTER HERE

ANJEE 40th Annual Winter Conference

In-Person

Thursday, January 16th-Friday, January 17th, 2025

The Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education (ANJEE) is seeking presentations to be held at The College of New Jersey on Thursday, January 16 and Friday January 17, 2025.

Sessions will be scheduled in one-hour blocks. If your workshop is more than one hour long -please request 2 blocks.  

The College of New Jersey is also allowing us to use the campus for outdoor field experience workshops. There will have space for 8-10 outdoor field experience workshops which will follow the same format as classroom presentations. 

LEARN MORE HERE

This month's Jersey Fresh Harvest of the Month in October is Apples! Apples are in season in New Jersey from July until December. Apples grow on trees and can be red, green, or yellow. There are over thirty varieties of apples grown in New Jersey.  Learn more about Apples here!

October is National Farm to School Month! Join us and thousands of schools, early care and education sites, farms, communities and organizations across the country as we celebrate food education, school gardens and lunch trays filled with healthy, local ingredients. 

This year’s National Farm to School Month theme, From Soil to Sea: Nourishing People and Planet, embodies our commitment to honoring the vital role of producers in our food system. From dedicated farmers and ranchers to fishers, their work and expertise lay the foundation for a thriving farm to school movement. We also celebrate the invaluable traditional knowledge of Indigenous and BIPOC communities in stewarding the land and seas—honed over generations, their wisdom is crucial to building a resilient, equitable, and sustainable food system that will continue to nourish both people and planet. 

LEARN MORE HERE

What kind of apples throw the best party?

Gala Apples!

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.