Collegiettes, have you heard of the Campus Garden but aren’t quite sure what it is or exactly what it’s about? Natalie Solomon and Akua Maat, Sustainability interns, are here to tell all:
The Campus Garden serves many purposes including promoting sustainable agriculture, acting as an outdoor classroom, providing Campus Kitchen with fresh produce and building community relationships among Wake Forest faculty, staff, and students. The garden helps Wake Forest students better understand and influence the social and environmental consequences of food production and consumption.
If you or a group you’re involved in are looking for hands-on service, then volunteering in the garden is an exciting opportunity. Not only will you get to enjoy working outside, but depending on the season, you also may take home some of the fruits of your labor in the form of tomatoes or other produce!
Akua Maat is a sophomore who has interned in the Campus Garden since the beginning of this academic year. The garden attracted Akua because it was far enough away from campus to feel like she could escape the stress of student demands, but also close enough to campus to feel like she could impact at least a small portion of the Wake Forest community. Besides the overwhelmingly rewarding process of seeing one tiny seed create a food item for a few people, Akua also enjoys seeing other students learn in the outdoor classroom. As a collegiette on a college campus, it can be easy to disconnect yourself from the world around you, but the garden serves as a place where students can reconnect with food origins to garner a greater appreciation for sustainable food production and consumption.
Natalie Solomon, the other intern, appreciates her internship because it has allowed her to take things that she has learned or read about, and literally put her hands in the dirt and ground these ideas. Natalie grew up on a citrus farm in rural Southern Africa and, although she was not very involved in the workings of the farm, she became very aware of the therapeutic effects of nature and the benefits of sustainable agriculture and wanted to learn more!
The Campus Garden is located on Polo Road, just across the street from campus and Martin. The garden is tended to by students, faculty, staff, and community members and has open Garden Hours every week for any interested volunteers. This season the Garden Hours are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 4 pm – 6 pm.
Hope to see you there, collegiettes!