Prairieland Kids Daycare and Learning Center: From Preschoolers to Master Gardeners
Students: 45
Staff: 7
Mentor: Stephanie Richardson
Project type: Native Food Garden
Location: Morris, IL
Grade levels: Daycare
Prairieland children, staff, and families worked together to build a multicultural garden. Families donated seeds and soil based on the foods they eat at home, and children and staff used recycled products to help with the starts of the plants. Two classes of children planted and cared for seeds, and helped put together two garden boxes and plan to put in the plants throughout the spring.
The garden gives kids a hands-on learning experience and gets them involved in sustainability early on. The garden and its young caretakers will also provide fresh fruits and vegetables to families in and around the center. In the future, Prairieland plans to build a butterfly garden and pollinator garden to show how different parts of the environment interact and the importance of biodiversity.