March 19, 2013 / Rick Swann

Hawai’i Island School Garden Network

One of the better organized school garden networks is located on the Big Island in Hawai’i. In 2006 a survey showed that 20 schools on the island had gardens, but none of the garden educators had connected with each other. In 2007 these educators and folks from the Kohala Center, including the HISGN Program Director Nancy Redfeather, got together and talked about common needs, which they have done a wonderful job of addressing. These needs have evolved over time. Volunteer Development workshops and funding were early priorities; currently there is more focus on Professional Development and connecting the garden to educational standards. One really interesting thing that they do is train volunteers from the community who know gardening how to work with kids before they send them to help in school gardens. It’s an inspiring program that they’ve created and it keeps growing.