The Coop Concept will be teaching kids how to compost and harvest fruits and vegetables, as well as being able to identify plants and bugs in the summer of 2024!
Composting is the act of putting one’s food scraps, among other things in a bin so that it can turn into mulch for soil. The EPA says, “Composting is nature’s way of recycling. It is one of the most powerful actions we can take to reduce our trash, address climate change, and build healthy soil. By turning our food scraps and yard trim into compost, we transform our waste streams into a beneficial, value-added soil amendment and use it to protect the environment and create resilient communities.” Composting is a valuable tool to help reduce the waste that we use as humans. It is also important for the environment as well, due to the healthier soil.
Harvesting is another facet of gardening that the Coop Concept will teach to kids in 2024. Harvesting is simple. It is learning when to pick fruits and vegetables when they are ripe. The Sage says, “Harvesting is easily the most exciting part of growing. It’s the time you reap the rewards of your hard work and patience! While there are no hard and fast rules to harvesting (and every plant is different), there is an art to harvesting. How and when you harvest affects how tasty and how nutritious your fresh vegetable harvests are.” Engaging kids in learning how to recognize when a vegetable or fruit is ready to be picked is important. It is essential for kids to not only learn more about vegetables and fruits but to help them understand the process of growth.
Identifying plants and insects is arguably the most important aspect of teaching kids about the environment that the Coop Concept will do in 2024. There is a service called iNaturalist, and it helps one record their “biodiversity findings”. Additionally, there is an app connected to iNaturalist called Seek, which uses image recognition technology to identify common plants, insects, and animals. Identifying these flora and fauna will help kids learn more about nature and how it is all interconnected.
All of these facets of gardening and the environment will enrich kids’ lives. This will help them to understand nature and how humans can play a positive part in it by helping the environment function more efficiently and effectively.
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