Claremont COURIER/Saturday, November 5, 2011 8
SAHS garden project shines for Sustainable Claremont
S
an Antonio High School’s garden
project is growing. And Sustainable
Claremont took notice at its annual
awards meeting last month.
The nonprofit organization selected San Antonio
High School as its “school” recipient of the 2011 Sus-
tainable Living Awards due to impact the garden pro-
gram has had at the continuation high school campus.
“Sustainable Claremont’s annual meeting this year
was themed to promote local and healthy food produc-
tion. To compliment the theme, we used school gar-
dens as the criteria for our award”, said Ron Mittino,
Chair of Sustainable Claremont’s School Action
Group. “Vista, Sycamore and Chapparal elementary
schools as well as El Roble Middle school have thriv-
ing garden programs and all were considered for the
award.”
Sustainable Claremont was formed out of the Clare-
mont City Sustainability Plan that was adopted in Oc-
tober 2008. The organization consists of 2 levels:
action groups and the board of directors. The action
groups undertake projects involving action, advocacy
or education.
According to Mr. Mittino, it was the student partici-
pation in the SAHS garden that made the high school
worthy of the award.
“San Antonio was selected for its exemplary student
involvement. Students helped build both the garden
and an outdoor classroom in partnership with Scripps
COURIER photos/Steven Felschundneff and CGU,” he said. “They jarred and sold marmalade
San Antonio High School student Chazney Minor says goodbye to Pitzer College student Katie Tenneson and served a gourmet dinner as fundraisers. Garden
on Monday following a gardening session at SAHS. Ms. Tenneson has been the key volunteer in maintain- Club students maintain the garden and study food is-
ing the student garden at San Antonio.
SUSTAINABLE SAHS
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Claremont COURIER/Saturday, November 5, 2011 9
SUSTAINABLE SAHS
continued from the previous page
sues through lessons presented by their
advisor, Pitzer student Katie Tenneson.
Their hard work has paid off and they
have been featured on 2 local radio
shows. They deserve the recognition.”
Claremont Graduate University
School of Politics and Economics Dean
Jean Schroedel and Scripps College
professor Nancy Neiman Auerbach
both conceived the idea of implement- Swiss chard is one of a handful of veg-
etables currently growing in the San
ing a school garden at SAHS to give Antonio High School student garden.
students an extracurricular option.
Approved by the Claremont Unified alongside them in the garden 2 to 3
School District board in 2010, Ms. times a week.
Schroedel received a $26,000 BLAIS “Receiving the award was really
Foundation Challenge grant to fund the great,” Ms. Tenneson said. “Right now,
program. The grant increased the size of we’re doing the same garden work we
the garden past 2000 square feet and were doing last year and just doing
provided gardening supplies, sprinkler more planting. We have more students
systems and compost bins. in the group this semester as well.”
Scripps College, Pomona College, More than 30 students are involved in Scripps College professor Nancy Neiman Auerbach speaks with Pitzer College
Claremont Unified School District, the upkeep of the SAHS garden this student Katie Tenneson on Monday at San Antonio High School. Ms. Neiman Auer-
Crossroads, Sustainable Claremont and bach was one of the key players in launching the San Antonio school garden.
year compared to less than half the cur-
Cal Poly Pomona also contributed to rent number last year. San Antonio stu- people dropped off,” he said. “This
the project. Ms. Tenneson, a senior at dent Lance Rico has been encouraged year, most of the people have stuck
Pitzer, is in her 2nd year working with by the growth. around and they’re actually doing the
SAHS students. She organizes the stu- “I think it was pretty cool last year hands-on work.”
dents’ meetings on Monday and when I started midway in the first se- The garden attracts students for sev-
Wednesday afternoons and works mester but in the 2nd semester, a lot of eral reasons from wanting to get course
credit to the enjoyment of growing
fruits and vegetables.
“Some people come for credits and
some come to help out in the garden.
I’m here to have fun,” said SAHS soph-
omore Chazney Minor as she took a
break from shoveling wood chips into
the garden. “At other schools, you
would just go straight home so it’s re-
ally cool. We’re making something Rock paths weave through the stu-
every week.” dentsʼ garden to make it easier to har-
—Landus Rigsby vest the crops.