The Riverview garden (Ohama Kuleana Communityh Garden) enriches my life and my children’s lives. We walk there a few nights a week, frolic in the sunflowers, taste the herbs, and pick the strawberries and raspberries while we watch the wildlife. We meet neighbors and develop new friendships.
My kids get a chance to interact with neighbors of all ages and gain knowledge of plants and flowers from long-term gardeners. We don’t own a plot, but we have helped take care of a friend’s plot and once the garden came into our life, it was here to stay. They love to ride their bikes there and drink from the water fountain while they’re playing in the neighborhood.
Both of my daughters (ages 6 and 9) have attended Riverview Elementary School since the beginning of their school careers. The garden is an integral and enriching part of their school experience. They attend Garden/Dirt Club where they meet friends and spend time outside learning about gardening and science.
They get so much gratification in seeing what they’ve planted grow and looking at the signs and art they’ve made over the years on display. Even the trail down to the garden is an adventure. This summer, we've watched a mother deer and her two fawns grow. The girls race up the steep hill while I race up the switchbacks and they beat me every time. They hide at the top of the hill and jump out and try to scare me.
Please do not take this away!
Miriam Cary
Durango
