Free Community Education
Community education is currently promoted in three ways: signage, workshops, and individual one-on-one mentoring and instruction. The nursery’s signage is created from a constantly growing database with more than 1,000 entries and gives in-depth information on plant origin, use and care. This is essential to efforts to introduce or reintroduce useful but often little known species of edible and medicinal plants.
In addition to the signage, however, the nursery serves as a community gardening lab room or workshop facility. The majority of our educational activities were are one-on-one interactions with community members or through small hands-on gardening and work parties. On any given day, there are individuals waiting patiently for a chance to query the two Directors regarding proper planting and care of a variety of a plant or even their entire garden. The increasing visibility and productivity of the nursery, produce stand, and farm brings in hundreds of people seeking advice on the everything to do with gardening in the Bay Area, from first time gardeners to experienced landscapers. Volunteers--many of who had little or no experience--are able to receive hands-on education in plant care from propagation to harvest. It is very gratifying when many of the volunteers then beginning answering questions from new people walking in the gates. Volunteers also subsequently participate in educational community events throughout the Bay Area.
Finally, Spiral Gardens has long been recognized as a valuable educational resource for schools (from preschools to universities), youth organizations, and other groups and organizations. The agency serves as a field trip and host site for many of them. As part of these programs, the young participants receive hands-on education and experience on the farm and in the nursery and are each able to take home plants to grow. We also strengthen our connection to school and community gardens in both Oakland and Berkeley (and other cities) by being a resource for teachers, through advice and access to plants, in addition to providing field trip opportunities.
When staffing and funding allow, we plan to reinstute our series of public workshops in the Outdoor Community Classroom.
2838 Sacramento St., Berkeley, CA 94702 510-843-1307 510-843-1800 fax
