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Click here for Registration Materials (PDF)
THE OHLONE OUTDOOR LEARNING CONFERENCE
Saturday, January 15, 1-5 PM
Ohlone Elementary School
950 Amarillo Avenue, Palo Alto, CA
To register, please use the PDF document on the Ohlone Web site, or contact ohlonefarm@yahoo.com to request registration materials by groundmail.
Conference details are provided below and in the attached PDF.
This event is co-sponsored by the Ohlone Farm and by the Getting Going Growing project of Foundation for Global Community and Gamble Garden.
We hope to see you there!
-Mary Klein for the Ohlone Farm Council
(Reprinted from the Oct 21, 2004 Ohlone Arrow)
The History of the Farm at Ohlone
An interview of Alexi Miller, Farm Aide, by Christine Leffler
Christine: The farm has come a long way from its start 20 years ago and certainly it is thriving today. What are some of the reasons the farm got started 20 years ago?
Alexi: The farm began with a dream to use the undeveloped land behind the library as a continuing science project with a host of opportunities for ongoing learning experiences by children. In the Spring of 1985 a Farm Coordinating Committee was formed to bring this dream to fruition.
Christine: How did the farm get started?
Alexi: With the cooperation of a large number of parents, school officials, and teachers, Ohlone officially opened its farm in Fall, 1985. They started with a chicken coop, rabbit hutch, garden beds, fruit trees, pond and a scarecrow.
Christine: How were improvements added over the years?
Alexi: Over the years the Farm has grown and improved, fueled by small grants, donations, school district help, and lots of hard work by parents, teachers and students. A greenhouse, several sheds, and a permanent pond were installed. The organic garden was improved with raised beds, irrigation and paths. About three years ago a new barn and paddock were added. The newest installation is the Ohlone Native Habitat, which will serve as a learning environment for the 2/3 grade curriculum on Ohlone Indian culture, as well as for studying pond habitat and other uses.
Christine: Why were the harvest festivals started? Aren’t they the main fundraiser for the farm?
Alexi: The Harvest Festival has been held for many years as a gathering to celebrate our Farm and our Ohlone community on a warm Fall afternoon. In recent years it has become the Farm's most important fund raiser.
Hosted by the Ohlone Elementary School Farm, this conference will provide an opportunity for all to learn from each other -- innovative elementary school teachers, professional environmental educators, and parents who support outdoor learning in elementary schools Troughout the Mid-Peninsula.
Delaine Eastin, former Superintendent of the California Department of Education and sponsor of "A Garden in Every School," will begin our program with a research-based presentation on ways that outdoor instruction promotes student achievement.
Following Ms. Eastin's talk, participants will choose from a variety of workshops, ranging from practical demonstrations of gardening techniques to strategic discussions about administration of school gardens, from K/1 issues to 4/5 issues, and from example lessons in mathematics and the sciences to examples in the arts and humanities. Join us in this lively exchange of skills, information, and experiences.
Registration fee is $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Babysitting for children ages 4 to 11 will be provided at no extra cost.
For more information, please contact: ohlonefarm@yahoo.com, or Mary Klein at 650-857-0232
WORKSHOP SESSIONS
K/1 - Pond Lessons: Ohlone teacher Kim Prescott tells about scientific observation of organisms around and inside a pond.
2/3 - Plant Use by Native Peoples: Ohlone parent and watershed expert Claire Elliott describes ways of teaching about native cultures using native plants.
School Gardening Basics: Gamble Garden children's program coordinators Jane Farish and Barbara Christiani share gardening tips.
Renewable Energy Panel: The team that brought solar energy onto the Ohlone Farm will discuss ways to integrate renewables into the California science curriculum; panelists include master teachers Otak Jump and Lisa Benatar, and renewable educator Tor Allen; moderated by Palo Alto Utilities Solar manager, Lindsay Joye.
K/1 - How Do We Get Food?: Hidden Villa Associate Director Jackie Lundy describes food economics for K/1 students.
4/5 - "Math in the Garden": Ohlone teacher Christie Price shares her experiences pilot testing this new curriculum from UC Berkeley.
Recognizing Garden Insects: Teacher and entomologist Frederique Lavoipierre describes roles of common garden insects.
Palo Alto Children's Museum: Museum director Rachel Meyer and her staff demonstrate a variety of outdoor and nature programs offered by the museum.
2/3 - "Life Lab" Soil Studies: John Fisher of Life Lab demonstrates one popular unit from their curriculum and describes the range of products and services available through the Life Lab program.
4/5 - Haiku Writing Outdoors: San Jose park ranger and haiku poet Roger Abe demonstrates how haiku writing thrives when pursued in outdoor settings.
Establishing Compost Systems: Master composter Martin Glenn and Ohlone Teacher Frankie Murray teach the nuts-and-bolts of creating organic fertilizer.
Garden Administration Panel: Three local leaders discuss the many efforts needed to sustain "outdoor classrooms" - fundraising, managing volunteers, working with teachers, etc.; panelists include Alexi Miller of Ohlone Elementary, Ruth Petersen of Encinal, and Holly Taylor of Collective Roots; moderated by Susan Stansbury of Getting Going Growing.
INFORMATIONAL DISPLAYS
+ Wilderness Leadership Program
+ Dana Meadows Children's Garden
+ Hidden Villa
+ Point Reyes dioramas by 4/5 students
