Maya McFadden Photo
Melissa Rodriguez stays rooted to El Salvador family gardening memories.
As New Haven Academy junior Melissa Rodriguez planted pink and red “Busy Lizzies” at school, she thought back fondly on the days of helping her grandmother in El Salvador tend to her vibrant flower garden and fruit trees.
That was the scene Wednesday afternoon as New Haven Academy students worked to liven up the school’s garden beds as part of a week of environmental activities at the 444 Orange St. magnet high school.
A group of ten students joined American Sign Language teacher Kim Braun during the final period of the day Wednesday. Thanks to funding from the Climate Justice Schools Initiative, the school was able to get soil and seedlings to plant in the school garden.
Between digging for worms and chatting about the end of the school year, the group zip-tied raspberry and blackberry plants up the garden bed walls, planted colorful flowers, and tended to the already-planted mushrooms, mint, strawberries, and goldenrod.
Rodriguez saw Wednesday’s gardening opportunity as a chance to give back to nature and thank it for “literally giving me life,” she said.
Rodriguez moved to New Haven from El Salvador six years ago. She recalled her grandmother’s flower garden and mango tree in her backyard.
On Wednesday, she brought those skills she learned from her grandmother in El Salvador to the school’s garden here in New Haven.
“The nature has always given something to us,” she said, “and I believe that little things help a lot.”
Rodriguez and other students described the gardening opportunity Wednesday as therapeutic and healing.
“It feels like warmth connecting with my grandmother,” she said.
She added that it was fun to have her peers come together from different grades and work on a common interest. “Me as a teenager, I’m always constantly on my phone and I believe that I don’t take time for myself and enjoy what I have surrounding me, especially related to nature and our environment,” she said.
Brianna Molina prepares soil for a bleeding heart plant.
While Rodriguez and other students used shears to trim down the garden’s mugwort and pachysandra, freshman Brianna Molina dug a hole at the corner of the garden to plant a bleeding heart plant.
Over the last year Molina has been diving into an interest in gardening at her own home.
Her mother has always encouraged her daughter to get into gardening because it was therapeutic for her at a time when she lost her father. Molina’s grandfather taught her mother to garden and now Molina is learning from her mother.
Wednesday’s opportunity immediately caught her attention because of the chance to learn about what nature surrounds her and to join her peers in beautifying the school.
Junior Ana Martinez added that she enjoys hands on learning and the opportunity to find other students her age who decided to put the phones aside to get in touch with nature Wednesday.
Sophomore Ethan added being outdoors Wednesday in the garden allowed him to learn about plants and career options with gardening.
Senior Ale Cruz said because her senior year caseload is light, she preferred the option of giving back to her school rather than sitting in the library for study hall.
“This serves as a reminder to students that nature is beautiful and that it’s all around you, because often times you can forget that it’s there and not appreciate it,” Senior Serena said.
Some of Wednesday's team of student gardeners with teacher Kim Braun.