Garden Mosaics in South AfricaDiscovering connections between

people, cultures, science, and action.

Kendra Liddicoat, Dr. Marianne Krasny, & Jamila Simon

Cornell University

What does Garden Mosaics offer?

Educational Materials– website and online databases– training DVD – program manual – colorful science pages

i. m. science investigations – Gardener Story, – Community Garden Inventory, – Neighborhood Exploration, – Weed Watch.

Action Projects

Connecting youth and elders…

to investigate the mosaicof plants, people, and

cultures in gardens,

to learn about science,and to act together

to enhance their community.

Environment and Language Education Trust (ELET):

Training teachers, developing English language teaching materials, promoting health education (cholera and HIV/AIDS), planting trees at KZN schools, and the INK Greening Project.

INK Greening (Inanda, Ntuzuma, KwaMashu) A 2-year project which aims to green school yards in INK, promote social and economic development of adjoining communities, and employ 180 gardeners.

Garden Mosaics in South Africa: June 2005, the beginning

Pilot programs at two township schools in the Durban area participating in ELET’s INK Greening Project.

EE in Southern Africa

• Well established and coordinated across the region.• Supported by SADC-REEP, EEASA, Share-Net, and

Rhodes University.• Broad in scope and actively involved in the UN DESD.

Political

Social

Biophysical

Economic

The Environment

EE in Southern Africa

Active Learning Framework

Information Seeking

Reporting Ideas

Action Taking

InquiryEncounters

Focus

O’Donoghue, R. B. (2001)

EE in Southern Africa

Active Learning Framework

Information Seeking

Reporting Ideas

Action Taking

InquiryEncounters

Focus

O’Donoghue, R. B. (2001)

What do we already know?

Who can we contact for help?

What can we report on the issue?

What can we do?

How will we investigate the issue?

What do we need to find out?

Kethamahle Senior Primary School

KwaMashu

25 grade 7 learners, 4 educators, and3 community workers

Sandasonke Primary School

Ntuzuma

55 grade 7 learners,3 educators, and 3 community workers

Neighborhood Explorationi m science investigations

Learning from aerial photographs and topographic maps

Neighborhood Exploration

Learn how to make and use a key.

Locate where we can …– get fresh vegetables– attend a community event– talk with friends– get exercise– enjoy nature

At our school!

Take a virtual or actual tour of the community.

i m science investigations

Gardener Storyi m science investigations

What vegetables do you grow?How are they planted?How do you water and weed them? Who eats the vegetables from the garden?

Where are you from?How did you learn to garden?

What indigenous herbs do you grow?How do your gardening practices relate to your culture?

Then review the information and, if possible, share it through the Garden Mosaics website.

Choosing a Project

Planning in groups– Come up with 3 realistic ideas.

– What would you need?

– Why would you do this project?

…planting vegetables…planting herbs… cleaning the school…building houses…fixing shoes…clearing more land…making brooms…making trash bins…planting trees…making a sports field…selling the vegetables… starting a tuck shop…

Our decision: focus on marketing the vegetables.

action project

Designing Signs and Price Listsaction project

Focus Group at Kethamahle

What did you like and learn?

“Looking at our school on the map and seeing places to develop in the community.”

“I know why they do the garden, to feed people who are sick.”

“The gardeners says that we must eat the vegetables because give us vitamins--good for our bodies.”

“How to prepare the garden, need to dig a deeper hole, measure for the spinach. I like watering and preparing plants.”

“I went into the garden to pick up papers, plastic. To clean the garden.”

evaluation

Focus Group at Kethamahle

What did you learn about people and plants?“Respect the gardeners, and plants are needed to feed

their families so don't step or kill them.”“Need to know that the principal and everyone uses the

garden to survive.”“In the garden don't walk in the plants. They are people,

they breathe just like me.”“Cannot live without plants--give us food, medicine,

shelter.”“I learned not to look down at gardeners…Garden is not for

old people.”“Garden is very important in my community. Don't play,

run, disturb.

evaluation

Interview with the Principal

What impact do you think Garden Mosaics had on your school, your learners, your educators,

and the community workers?

“They developed a love of working in the field, knowing that the soil is everything. This was for the educators as well as the learners. The educators never showed interest in the garden before. Now I know that they will accompany the learners and go to the garden with them….The learners were so eager. They would come to the office and remind me….It was excellent for the community workers. It made them know that even you from overseas work in the garden. It showed them dedication and love and support.”

evaluation

Garden Mosaics fits well with the active learning framework used in the SADC region.

Information Seeking

Reporting Ideas

Action Taking

InquiryEncounters

Focus

O’Donoghue, R. B. (2001)

Garden Mosaics fits well with the active learning framework used in the SADC region.

Information Seeking

Reporting Ideas

Action Taking

InquiryEncounters

Focus

O’Donoghue, R. B. (2001)

What do we already know? NE—Labeling places from memory

Garden Mosaics fits well with the active learning framework used in the

SADC region.

Information Seeking

Reporting Ideas

Action Taking

InquiryEncounters

Focus

O’Donoghue, R. B. (2001)

What do we already know? NE—Labeling places from memory

Who can we contact for help? SP—printed resources,

GS--meet elders

What do we need to find out? GS—seek help with AP

Garden Mosaics fits well with the active learning framework used in the

SADC region.

Information Seeking

Reporting Ideas

Action Taking

InquiryEncounters

Focus

O’Donoghue, R. B. (2001)

What do we already know? NE—Labeling places from memory

Who can we contact for help? SP—printed resources,

GS--meet elders

What can we report on the issue?GS—enter data on website

How will we investigate the issue?NE—answering questions GS—asking gardeners

What do we need to find out? GS—seek help with AP

Garden Mosaics fits well with the active learning framework used in the

SADC region.

Information Seeking

Reporting Ideas

Action Taking

InquiryEncounters

Focus

O’Donoghue, R. B. (2001)

What do we already know? NE—Labeling places from memory

Who can we contact for help? SP—printed resources,

GS--meet elders

What can we report on the issue?GS—enter data on website

What can we do? AP

How will we investigate the issue?NE—answering questions GS—asking gardeners

What do we need to find out? GS—seek help with AP

Lessons learned about Garden Mosaics in South Africa.

• GM can work in South Africa as a special in-class project – How can it be integrated into the curriculum? – What informal settings are possible?

• GM in South Africa should place greater emphasis on food production as a reason for gardening.

• To move GM in South Africa forward, teacher trainings and adapted educational materials are necessary.

Lessons learned about adapting environmental education

programs.• Program materials should be flexible and adaptable.

• Youth learning indigenous knowledge from elders makes the scientific content relevant to participants in many countries.

• Language issues must be considered and are especially complex in South Africa.

Siyabonga

National Science Foundation (ISE) and Cornell University

Garden Mosaics Program Director, Keith Tidball

And to our many friends in South Africa who welcomed us, answered our questions, translated for us, drove us around, provided important insights, and invited us to come back. To name a few of you…

ELET staff: Nontobeko Gasa, Mervin Ogle, Shradha Singh, Zain Amod, Govin Reddy, Hajira Mohamed, George Pillay, Cecil Fynn, and Udeshan Reddy

Ms. Ngema and the learners and educators of Sandasonke.Ms. Mtshali, Ms. Ngidi, and the learners and educators of Kethamahle. WESSA/SADC-REEP: Bridget, Elizabeth, Jim, Mike, Mumsie, Priya, ShephardParticipants in the July 2005 Attachment Programme.Durban Botanic Garden, Southern African Wildlife College, and Kids in Kruger