By Arianna Baseman | Associate Director
Dear Friends,
We are so excited to share news of our latest collaborative effort – a permaculture garden! In our last update, we shared news about the successful fundraising campaign we ran to renovate and open our swimming pool in time for summer camp. Not only were our swim lessons fantastic, but they were truly lifesaving as well.
During the summer, one of our wonderful long-term volunteers partnered with Taino Organic Farms to institute an Eco studies program. The idea in mind was to create a permaculture garden. Gardening has served as an experiential learning tool as our girls themselves are planting, harvesting and maintaining the seeds. The hands-on experience that our girls get through permaculture gardening allows them to better understand where food comes from, the benefits of organic gardening, and the processes of gardening and farming.
A large part of this project is our “seed library.” Through this library, our girls will harvest and maintain both seeds and seedlings. They can then bring their skills and knowledge back to their families, thus creating true garden-to-table food options for themselves and their families.
An example of garden-to-table success has been our use of the Moringa tree. This tree, which is native to the Dominican Republic, is hardly used in any capacity. However, it has gained newfound fame as a super food! This is great news for our girls, as they have learned how to utilize the Moringa tree leaves to make delicious, healthy Moringa-lime juice.
Moringa juice is just one example! Our vision for the future is that our garden and our budding gardeners will provide healthy, fresh food to all of our Mariposa girls and their families. We are creating our own edible schoolyard here at Mariposa!
We are so pleased to continue to share our work with you, knowing that your support and interest are paramount to our continued success!
With gratitude,
Las Mariposas
By Jessica Lawson | Co-Founder
By Jessica Lawson | Co-Founder
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