Garden Program

Saint Mark's organic garden is a child-centered learning environment. The organic fruit, vegetable, flower, medicinal plant, and natives garden has been recognized by Marin Master Gardeners as a model for school gardens. Founded in 2003, the organic garden has been integrated into the school curriculum with the help of our garden teacher, Rebecca Mullaney.

Lessons are offered every week on seasonal topics such as seeds, flower parts, habitats, garden creatures, compost, garden poetry, and more. Classes also take on projects: First graders have worked with worm bins as part of their study of the life cycle; third graders tend beds to grow food for the Marin County Food Bank; and fourth grade students organize the school composting program.

In the spring of 2011, we welcomed four chickens to Saint Mark's. Named Bella, Dominique, Pepper, and Coco, the hens provide educational benefits that include learning to care for the animals and enriched lessons in science, sustainability, math, reading, and art.

Upper Division students can take electives in hands-on gardening projects such as building cold frames, making bilingual plant signs, planting theme gardens (for salsa and pizza, for example) and preparing food from them, researching medicinal herbs and remedies, and doing maintenance projects such as planting and harvesting.

On Wednesdays, Rebecca hosts the Green Thumbs club at lunchtime, during which students can help with harvesting and planting and learn about seed stewardship; plant life cycles; pollination; native plants; and other organic garden practices.

The native-butterfly habitat garden, located between the Lower and Middle Division classrooms, contains various plants and birchwood piles for attracting butterflies and encouraging them to lay eggs, as well as the water sources they need and stepping stones made by the children. Planter tubs elsewhere on campus contain plants from around the world, coordinating with lessons focusing on places around the world.