Local non-profit inspiring school children to plant gardens

Green Desert is a Phoenix non-profit focused on making sustainability simple and accessible. The goal is to encourage people and kids to live a simpler lifestyle and protect our environment.

Earlier this year, GreenDesert held a garden challenge, and schools could apply for a full garden makeover. Fairfax won. On December 8th, they will have a ribbon cutting to celebrate the garden the kids helped plant, as well as a new mural created by a local artist.

The students named their garden “Betty’s Roots,” and the mural beautifully represents that theme. It shows growth, community, and the idea that their school’s roots can literally feed and nourish them. The students have been involved in every step of the transformation. They helped prep the beds, level the soil, learn about composting, feed the worms, and plant the winter garden from seeds and seedlings. And since they’ve started the garden, they’ve already been able to harvest and cook from it.

Quita Jackson, President of GreenDesert.org, joined “Arizona Horizon” to talk all about Green Desert and what they’ve accomplished.

“As adults we make things so difficult… with the kids its just so much fun because they want to learn they are really excited, they are wanting to touch worms and things… they’re wanting to taste the food they’re learning different things… they’re helping plant they’re helping harvest, they’re helping cook… and these kids now a lot of them have gardens at home,” Jackson said.