A Local School Garden Brings the Community Together

About 50 people showed up between 9 a.m. and noon on Saturday to lend a hand at the second-to-last monthly volunteer day at Westminster Elementary's (WE) Garden before the end of the school year. 

Volunteers pulled weeds, laid down mulch, planted fields of white corn and tended to other sections of the edible garden, which is in its 6th year.

Westminster parent Ginni Machamer said she looks forward to showing up each month with her husband Blake and daughter Nico. “I want to set an example for my daughter. Kids learn by seeing what you do. If I do a good thing, she'll do it. Nico also likes to give back to her school. She loves her school," Machamer said. "And I like dirt. People who play in dirt are more fun.”

In addition to the monthly volunteer days, WE Master Gardeners Nora Dvosin and Nancy Giffin work with first through fifth graders in the garden during the school year.

“When you take up a quarter acre of asphalt, you change the local environment and heat conditions. We're contributing to a healthier, more beautiful local environment," Dvosin said. 'And it's not only the school but the local community that's involved."

Each year, fifth graders receive private cooking classes with Joe Miller, owner and chef of on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Last Friday, Miller whipped up a raw artichoke and arugula salad with parmesan cheese and strawberry tarts with the kids. The ingredients are picked from the WE Garden and supplemented by produce donated by vendors at the .

In January 2010, the Office of Community Beautification awarded WE Garden a  grant to break up an additional 7,000 square feet of asphalt to transform the area into a California woodland. Local resident and architect Lewin Wertheimer volunteered his skills to design the addition to WE Garden.

On April 2, 2011, native trees, shrubs and flowers were planted in this area to create space for the students to play and gather. Contributing to the effort were the environmental nonprofit group TreePeople, Whole Food's Joyful Activist Club, Environmental Media Association and actress Rosario Dawson. Private donations were also received from Dawson, Dan Abrams of Cross River Pictures and the Roadrunners, who met weekly in the WE parking lot to practice for this year's LA Marathon.

One of this Saturday's main projects was to lay down more mulch in the California woodland area.

The next and last WE workday is Saturday, June 11, from 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Past President of the Westminster Endowment Group Coby Dahlstrom emphasized the importance of continuing to build on the volunteers' work. “We had great turnout on April 2, but we need to take care of all of the things we planted," Dahlstrom said.

Next month, WE Garden will recognize all of the people who have volunteered their time and goods over the school year, plus plant Japanese popcorn, pumpkins, corn, squash and other crops that will be ready when the students arrive back to school in September.

Some of the contributors to WE Garden this year include , Subway (Marina del Rey location), Joe's Restaurant, Joyful Activist Club, , and .

For more information, visit WE Garden on Facebook or e-mail westminsterendowmentgroup@gmail.com.