BLOOMINGDALE — Volunteers are needed to help rebuild the Bloomingdale Elementary School garden.
The Saranac Lake Central School District’s Farm to School program and The Heart Network are hosting a community volunteer day on Sat., June 14, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Bloomingdale Elementary School, 93 Main St. in Bloomingdale. The work will focus on rebuilding the school’s learning garden.
“Our school district has gardens at both elementary schools, the middle school, and high school,” Emily-Bell Dinan, coordinator of the Farm to School program, said.
“These growing spaces serve multiple purposes: help us teach students about where food comes from, how to eat healthy, apply science learning topics in the real world, and even supply our cafeterias with fresh produce. The Bloomingdale garden is over a decade old and needs some TLC, and we hope kids, parents and community members will join us for a fun workday that will support students for years to come.”
Volunteers are invited to drop in for an hour or two, or stay for the whole day. Folks are encouraged to bring work gloves, water bottles, hats, closed-toed shoes, and clothes that can get dirty; bug spray and sunscreen are also recommended.
In order to anticipate numbers, interested volunteers are asked to RSVP at https://bit.ly/F2Sbuild.
A rain date is set for Saturday, June 21.
To learn more about the volunteer day and the Saranac Lake Farm to School program, email Emily-Bell Dinan at dinanemi@slcs.org.
Saranac Lake Farm to School receives support from The Heart Network’s Creating Health Schools & Communities program, funded by a grant from the New York State Department of Health. CHSC works with schools and communities to increase access to healthy food and opportunities for physical activity. It also includes an early childhood component through a partnership with the Child Care Coordinating Council of the North Country, engaging with providers to adopt policies and practices that promote nutrition and physical activity for young children.
For more information about the CHSC program at The Heart Network, visit heartnetwork.org or contact Arriana Patraw at apatraw@heartnetwork.org.