Mill Valley Middle School Garden Project

Mill Valley, CA

In the spring semester of 1997, EDI worked together with two local middle school teachers to develop an elective class around the planning and designing of a school garden. The five month course started with a user survey of students, teachers and community members to determine the programmatic needs of the garden. It was followed by a site selection process of measuring, mapping, soil testing and analysis in order to determine which of the three possible sites was the best suited for a school garden.

After selecting a site, EDI worked with the students to study various ecological design considerations, the site's natural opportunities and constraints, and create a series of site plans and garden design drawings. During the final part of the course, the students presented their designs to the school community and gathered valuable feedback.

In the fall of the following school year, an eighth grade science class took the lead on getting the materials together and actually constructing the garden. Visit the garden via the web site the students made for it.