Rotary donation enables vegetable cultivation and nature experiences for kindergarten children
The municipal daycare center KinderVilla in Darmstadt's Johannesviertel district has received three new raised garden beds. These were donated by Rotary Club Darmstadt. The raised beds will give the children the opportunity to observe plants growing and to cultivate their own fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
The new raised beds each have a capacity of approximately 1.5 cubic meters and were filled with potting soil from the composting plant of the municipal services department (EAD) in Kranichstein.
Learning with all senses
Mayor and Social Affairs Officer Barbara Akdeniz welcomes the support for the daycare center.
“Raised beds for daycare centers are a fantastic thing. Children can experience how things grow and bloom and how fresh fruits and vegetables taste. They can plant and harvest together and learn through hands-on activities. Many thanks to Rotary for donating the raised beds to the KinderVilla daycare center,” explains Akdeniz.
Support from tradespeople and parents
The facility also received support from the region for the construction of the raised garden beds. Eberhard Uhland from the Uhland carpentry workshop in Bessungen assembled the raised beds together with helpers from the parent community and brought them to the KinderVilla.
The raised beds were set up in the outdoor area of the daycare center and will be an integral part of the educational work in the future.
Strawberries, cucumbers and herbs are already growing
After assembly, the raised beds were planted immediately. The children can now observe how strawberries, zucchini, cucumbers, kohlrabi, and various herbs such as parsley and chives grow.
The plants are tended together until they can be harvested and tasted by the children. In this way, the girls and boys learn in a practical way where food comes from and how it grows.
(DARMSTADT – RED/PSD/stip)
