Back to October 2017 Newsletter

Plant a Seed & See What Grows

Marisa Nichini

Plant a Seed & See What Grows Foundation is dedicated to creating opportunities for children to explore the outdoors and be inspired by the breathtaking wonders of the natural world around them. The Foundation’s programs create moments of inspiration that can last a lifetime – in classrooms, in school gardens, through farm visits, and other outdoor educational activities. Through these outdoor experiences, a healthier generation of children is nurtured, and at the same time they learn to become good stewards of planet earth.

This includes educating youngsters about the seed-to-table cycle through our Plant a Seed – Read! and Plant a Seed Classroom Resource Kit programs (available free-of-charge, in English and French, to schools and libraries across Canada). Both programs feature the beautifully illustrated children’s storybook, Plant a Seed & See What Grows by Roland Gahler and its companion storybook, What to Do with What You Grew, as well as organic, non-GMO seed packs – including Echinacea purpurea from Natural Factors Farms in B.C.’s interior. The Plant a Seed – Read! program is designed for preschoolers and public libraries; it includes bilingual colouring books and pencil crayons. The Classroom Resource Kit targets primary grade students and includes curriculum-based workbooks (in English or French) and our branded planting kits.

So far, the Foundation has reached more than 7,700 students and supported 14 school gardens.

Sowing seeds of awareness

The Foundation is very proud of its $1,000 grant to Seeds of Diversity in support of our mutual cause of seed preservation. We also support the University of BC Botanical Gardens’ seed saver program. And the Foundation is currently focussed on bringing awareness of the importance of seed preservation to youngsters and the Friends of the Foundation. Its popular online blog regularly features articles on seed saving, gardening advice, food security, etc. for children and families. Our Twitter (@seewhatgrows) and Facebook accounts help us spread the word about the value of planting actual seeds, as well as nurturing “virtual seeds of inspiration” for children to help them realize their self-worth and their role in caring for others and for our planet. 

We’re excited to continue to work with Seeds of Diversity to spread awareness, to Canadian children and their families, about the value and importance of preserving seeds, particularly Canadian heirloom and heritage varieties. At Plant a Seed & See What Grows Foundation we believe that: “One seed can grow a forest, one child can change the world, one idea can inspire a generation.”

**

Find out more about the Plant a Seed & See What Grows Foundation at www.seewhatgrows.org.

Marisa Nichini is a member of the Education Advisory Committee of Plant a Seed & See What Grows Foundation.

Photo: Students from an Ottawa-area school harvesting seeds from a Foundation-supported garden.

Back to October 2017 Newsletter