Bowman Elementary School Garden
Welcome to the excitement of the sixth season of W.L. Bowman Elementary School's outdoor school garden! 🌱 Your decision to lend a hand is truly appreciated and sets the stage for another fantastic summer of growth and giving.
Together, we're cultivating more than just local harvests; we're nurturing a community spirit of generosity and care. By donating our harvests to Children's Lunchbox, Executive Chef Amy Foote at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium Medical Campus, and families in need of fresh produce, we're spreading joy and sustenance throughout our neighborhood and beyond to the wider community of Anchorage. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Alaska Space Farming Institute and Institute founder Lorrie Irwin for their unwavering support in making both our indoor hydroponic and outdoor garden beds such a success all year long!
Your role as a volunteer is vital in maintaining our outdoor garden's vitality in the season of the Midnight Sun. During our hot, sunny Alaskan summer days, our garden will need some community assistance setting up the school's garden hose to sprinkle away and work the water magic. Whether it's watering the beds, clearing away any detritus, checking out the compost pile, tending to weeds, or simply keeping an eye out for ripe fruits, fresh veggies, and new blooms, every action you take as a Bowman Garden volunteer brings us closer to our goal. And even if the plants don't need watering on damp Alaskan summer days, your presence in the garden is invaluable for keeping it vibrant and secure.
Don't forget to grab the code for the new garden shed from the lockbox, along with helpful info on this year's setup and tips for successful gardening from Ms. Linda. If you have any questions or need assistance, Linda can be reached at 907-250-1836. Ms. Sophie can also be reached to help you with garden-related matters at wallace_sophie@asdk12.org.
Thank you for being a part of Bowman's garden family! Let's make this summer a green and glorious one together! 🌻
We won a $5000 grant!
Thanks to everyone who voted for Bowman Elementary School's garden in Nature's Path Organic recent Garden's for Good competition!! Your show of support launched our garden to receive a $5000 grant! Here's the listing of the 22 winners. We're honored to be among these amazing gardens. The grant will go to expand our garden and enable us to continue donating to The Children's Lunchbox.
Mission
The Bowman Elementary Garden aims to create a peaceful, respectful, and hands-on environment for Bowman community members to work together in gardening activities. We work together to enjoy freshly grown produce, learn about sustainable food production, and share our harvest with the Children's Lunchbox in Anchorage.
Hydroponic Towers
We currently have two indoor hydroponic grow towers inside the Bowman foyer to produce lettuce and other edible greens, along with a germination unit to start the plants.
This project was funded by awards from the Alaska Retired Educators, the Central Alaska Retired Teachers, and 907Bobcats with tower construction by Bowman parent James Bienvenu.
History
The raised beds were installed in Spring 2019 by South Anchorage Rotary Club. Summer 2019 was our first season of vegetable production with excellent results.
Future Projects in the Works
Greenhouse
Installation of the Geodesic Dome by GrowingSpaces purchased with funds from several grants. The dome kit is currently stored at an Anchorage School District warehouse while we work with community partners and ASD to acquire the needed building permits. We look forward to installing this 255-square-foot growing environment that allow students to learn about and participate in sustainable food production. This horticultural heaven will significantly extend our growing season!
Garden Fence
Installation of a fenced perimeter to help keep the garden secure from Alaskan creatures of all kinds. Although we are hoping to keep out critters who would munch on our harvest, we will work diligently to ensure people in the community still feel welcome to check out what's growing and enjoy the space!
Garden Shed
A new shed to be built by ASD high school students easily accessible to our school garden area and solely dedicated to keeping our green thumb tools organized and secure. Our collection of gardening tools has expanded greatly to now include a Gorilla wagon donated by the Varrati family, Yard Butler hose caddies purchased with grant money, and $1000 in tools awarded by Corona USA.
Garden Art
Future student art pieces - from student-made signs, gardening stakes, and the like to make our garden a true garden gallery!
(below) One of several signs created by Shasha Strickler, summer 2021
