GTN Charlotte's reach grows with new website, videos

Megan Lambert and Sean Cosby share a good-luck toast with sweet-potato smoothies

By Rich Haag
The Green Teacher Network for schoolyard garden advocates may be living up to its name in a new way – as a digital network for information and sharing.
Several groups involved in health, nutrition and education formed GTN Charlotte earlier this year to help share information among the many teachers and volunteers working in our area’s nearly 100 schoolyard gardens. Each quarterly workshop provides one major instructional program, additional information and time for participants to share and learn from one another.
But many teachers have a tough time getting away from school for half-day meetings. So GTN Charlotte has begun producing instructional videos, as well. You can find them on the group’s new website, GTNCharlotte.org.

Our debut: “Gardening 101” in 14 short clips

Our first video offering as well as the new website went live last week. We took the keynote presentation at our Nov. 1 workshop, ”Gardening 101,” by Henry Owen of Friendship Gardens, and converted the 40-minute talk into 14 easy to watch segments.
Anyone can access the videos via the resources page at GTNCharlotte.org. Segments cover topics such as “Getting teacher buy-in,” “Watering with kids,” and “Priceless advice.” Most clips are 2-5 minutes long.

Coming next: “Chefs in the Classroom" video series

We just posted the first of four cooking videos that we shot last week. The Chefs in the Classroom series features Megan Lambert, senior instructor at Johnson & Wales University, and Sean Cosby, a J&W graduate and personal chef. Each of them prepares two simple dishes using common schoolyard garden produce such as kale, onions and sweet potatoes. (Thanks to Piedmont Natural Gas for letting us use their kitchen at the PNG facility on Yancy Road.)
• CLICK to watch chef Lambert prepare Plant Part Salad with Sweet Poppy-Seed Dressing.
Our Chefs in the Classroom videos will be available on the resource page of GTNCharlotte.org and on the Catawba River District’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/user/CatawbaRiverDistrict. We’ll announce when they are ready to view at Facebook.com/CatawbaRiverDistrict.

GTNCharlotte.org is live

Finally, the Catawba River District has created a new website for the Green Teacher Network. You can find it at GTNCharlotte.org. The site will house learning resources such as the videos and other useful materials. We will also use it to handle event and newsletter registrations

Gardening 101 offers tips for launching schoolyard gardens

Henry Owen of Friendship Gardens shares tips in Gardening 101

See the Gardening 101 video clips

CLICK to visit our video site, where you can watch this presentation in brief segments

By Rich Haag

Teachers loved the jewel-case seedling garden.

Who knew that an old CD jewel case could help get both kids AND their teachers excited about schoolyard and classroom gardens?
Using the clear-plastic cases as 21st-century seed starters was among dozens of tips that teachers received on Nov. 1 at the Green Teacher Network fall workshop.
Henry Owen of Friendship Gardens spent close to an hour sharing ideas on how to launch a schoolyard garden with several dozen participants at the Green Teacher Network’s Nov. 1 gathering. What got his audience’s biggest response?
Seedlings sprouting in, of all things, old CD jewel cases.
“That got an even bigger reaction than the photos of my son,” Henry joked as dozens of teachers and garden volunteers oohed over a Powerpoint slide showing the novel planters.
The fledgling Green Teacher Network launched last summer as a way for people running gardens at nearly 100 area schools to network, learn and share with one another. The Catawba River District, Mecklenburg Food Policy Council, Mecklenburg Health Department and Friendship Gardens are sponsoring the network with strong support from Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.

Word spreading about GTN

In August, Darlene Petranic shared lessons with eggs.

The first event in August drew about 20 people; about 50 attended the event on Nov. 1 at CPCC’s Harris Campus.
Henry’s talk was the biggest attraction, even though more than half of the participants already have gardens up and running. He gave tips on how to create garden goals, assemble a strong team, gain needed buy-in by school administrators and teachers, find a good location, improve the soil and, whew! Finally begin planting seeds and seedlings. (You can see a dozen short video clips of Henry’s presentation at the Green Teacher Network website).
Also at the Nov. 1 event:

• Regina Boyd, principal of Winterfield Elementary School, talked about the positive impact her gardens have had student learning. 
• Darlene Petranick, the science lab teacher at Lebanon Road Elementary School, discussed small grants and other resources available from the NC Farm Bureau.
• Teachers and garden volunteers took park in separate breakout sessions to talk about what they are doing. 

The next quarterly event will take place in February. Meanwhile, the coalition of sponsors are putting together on-line garden resources, including the website, a Google-Docs library, and social media to keep the talking and sharing going.

Learn more

Visit GTNCharlotte.org for additional information about the network and gardening resources and to sign up for the GTN Charlotte newsletter. Visit the website’s Resources page to view Gardening 101 videos.

Pallets become Ultimate Schoolyard Garden display at CPCC

Carpentry students at CPCC create sturdy walls from oak pallets.

See the video

CLICK to view a brief video of the display under construction

By Rich Haag

Months of planning for the Ultimate Schoolyard Garden are taking form at Central Piedmont Community College’s Harper campus. Carpentry students are assembling the display for next year’s Southern Spring Home And Garden Show.
Recently, students learning about power tools from instructor Tony Hayes got to use those tools to turn recycled oak pallets into our exhibit following a plan created by LandDesign.
More than a dozen students in the carpentry shop at the Harper Campus were turning 4-by-4 pallets and 2-by-8 beams into sturdy walls up to 8 feet tall.
The grand entrance into the exhibit will be even taller. Visitors will walk through a mock bell tower more than three pallets high.
Inside, they’ll view 18 displays and thousands of plants, many of them draped on or even inside the walls. We wondered if the pallets could handle the load. Tony politely pointed out that pallets are made from oak because it is such strong material.
As if to make his point, Tony later ended up on the floor with a power drill in tight embrace as he helped students drill a hole into a tough piece of oak pallet.
Besides the exterior structure, the CPCC students will create a greenhouse out of wood framing and polyethylene.
Once both structures are finished, they will be taken apart in modules and later reassembled, just before the show starts in late February, inside one of the event’s exhibit halls.
While most people will come to the Ultimate Schoolyard Garden to see the many ways we can use plants, animals and even insects to teach our children, Tony hopes the visitors will realize the display has its own lessons to share – including how we can make good use of recyclable materials.

Learn more about Ultimate Schoolyard Garden

The finished Ultimate Schoolyard Garden will be on display at the Southern Spring Home & Garden Show, Feb.21-23 and Feb. 28-March 2 at the Park Expo and Conference Center. Visit Ultimateschoolyardgarden.org to learn more about our project and keep up with its development.

Third STEM Outdoor Learning Event was picture-perfect fun

Jennifer Covington with Huber Technology explains how we are able to clean and reuse water

CLICK to view the event video

A beautiful fall morning at the Duke Energy Explorium on Lake Norman: Who could have asked for a better setting for the Third Annual STEM Outdoor Catawba River Learning Laboratories?
On Sept. 27, more than 500 fifth graders from schools in the River District came to get hands-on learning and inspiration about the importance of science, technology, engineering and math. The Catawba River District coordinated the event in partnership with the UNC Charlotte Center for STEM Education
Scores of volunteers from local businesses, colleges and environmental groups oversaw the learning stations and shared their knowledge and enthusiasm with eager learners.
One veteran of previous STEM fairs was Jennifer Covington with Huber Technology. As she waited with co-workers for the first students to come to their water-cleansing activity, she reflected on how much learning takes place when kids have access to hands-on programs like this.
“There are so enthusiastic and ready to learn. They love touching things and looking in microscopes. They really just enjoy the entire event,” Covington said.

Instructor Wayne Fisher talks to the students about deer

The students spent two hours moving among nearly 20 learning activities. Belmont Abbey College students led students through a pollution activity. WCNC meteorologist John Wendel not only talked about the weather, he created a mini-tornado for students in a mist cloud.
Craig Wyant with the NC Wildlife Federation had many animal skins for students to touch, while David Fogarty with the Gaston branch of the NC Cooperative Extension explained local flora. Wayne Fisher, who oversees science instruction in Charlotte-Mecklenburg elementary schools, even got kids to pretend they were deer.

Mayors Patrick Cannon, left and Bryan Hough handle snakes for the crowd of kids.

Lesson in snake handling

The event ended with lunch on the lakeside lawn and a chance for students and teachers to get one last lesson: in snake handling!
“Do you think these two gentlemen are going to be able to hold our snakes,” a naturalist asked to loud cheers as others handed large nonpoisonous snakes to the event’s two celebrity guests, Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon of Charlotte (now mayor) and Mayor Bryan Hough of Mount Holly.
Children and adults alike laughed as the two men cautiously let the snakes slither up their arms. The snakes don't see us as humans, the naturalists explained. They think we are trees for climbing!
Jeffrey Ruppenthal, principal of Mountain Island Elementary School, spent the day with his fifth graders. The STEM fair is a valuable learning event for his students, he said. “For one thing, they’re right next to the river. It’s important to see that not only is this the waterway for their community, but it’s also the water-drinking source, and then they’re out here doing hands-on experiments in the beautiful weather.”
Students also liked this different way to learn. “We had all these activities,” one boy said, “which made it fun.”

Interactive Learning Station hosts:

• Belmont Abbey College Elementary Education
• Carolina Raptor Center
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Elementary Science
• Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services
• Charlotte Mecklenburg Utilities - Grease Free Education Program
• DoYourPart - Terri Bennett
• Huber Technology
• Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation
• Mecklenburg County Air Quality
• Mecklenburg County Environmental Health – Groundwater
• Mountain Island State Education Forest
• NC Cooperative Extension – Gaston County
• NC Wildlife Federation
• ReCommunity
• UNC Charlotte Center for STEM Education
• UNC Charlotte Recycling
• WCNC – meteorologist John Wendel

Participating schools

• Ida A. Rankin Elementary
• Catawba Heights Elementary
• Mountain Island Elementary
• River Oaks Academy
• Whitewater Academy

Event sponsors

• Duke Energy
• Huber Technology
• Piedmont Natural Gas
• Novant Health
• Catawba River District

Welcome to our team's new members!

Our leaders: (front row) Ann Danzi, Beth Mack, Edna Chirico; (middle) Robb Little, Alice Battle, Kathi Robinson; (rear) Burt Philips, William Daleure II, Dale Stewart; (absent) Henk-Jan von Ettekoven

By Edna Chirico
Executive Director

The Catawba River District recently added three new members to our Executive Board. Each brings unique skills and passion to the work of the Catawba River District.

Alice Battle

First is Alice Battle, a long- time environmental advocate. I’ve known Alice for several years and have respected her leadership on the Mountain Island Lake Marine Commission and as a dedicated cove keeper. Alice also serves on the board of the Catawba River Women’s Group. She lives on Mountain Island Lake and can often be found in her pontoon boat not only enjoying the lake but also volunteering as a caretaker, advocate and voice in protecting this invaluable source of drinking water supply for more than a million people. Alice will lead the River District’s strategic initiative to support parks and greenways, blue ways, and environmental stewardship education.

Henk-Jan van Ettekoven

Henk-Jan van Ettekoven is the director of service and manufacturing for Huber Technology, one of our strategic partners. Henk and Jennifer Covington, also from Huber Technology, have created and presented one of learning stations at our annual outdoor STEM Festival for more than 500 fifth graders. Henk joins the board to ensure that our programs continue to focus on STEM skills and career learning.

Beth Mack

Last and youngest is Beth Mack. The Mecklenburg Health Department hired Beth, a registered dietician, in 2011 to complete an analysis of area schools on a Farm to School platform. She developed the first comprehensive list of Charlotte Mecklenburg schools involved in gardening. Beth recently joined Chartwell and is developing an enhanced local food program for UNC Charlotte. Beth will work on our Farm to School initiative within the Catawba River District, as well as the regional Green Teacher Network.