Parish school breaks new ground

St. Alphonsus Parish School students and parents got down on dirty on Saturday, creating their new Parish Community Garden.

“The goal is just to have a living laboratory for the students,” principal Maureen Reid tells us. The students will be able to explore and apply science concepts in the garden, as well as grow fresh produce. Reid tells us that the produce will be donated to the Ballard Food Bank and the students will sell flowers and herbs to raise money for a school in Guatemala, which they have a relationship through “Bridges to Understanding.”

One of the teachers received a sustainable school grant last year, which got the “green” ball rolling. The school is now composting lunches, they have worm bins and this garden is just a natural extension of that, Reid says.