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The garden harvests rainwater which is later used by the students to help water their vegetable garden. Growing food can use a lot of water, so harvesting stormwater helps to build a more water resilient community.
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Global Student Embassy teaches the students of Santa Cruz High important ecological practices like composting, cover cropping, and cultivating the soil.
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Students are able to grow food in raised beds separated by mulched paths.
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Located behind the school's athletic fields, the garden gives students a place to meet and work together around the common goal of good land stewardship.
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The garden frequently experiences damages from pesty moles. One way to work around this issue is to build planter boxes.
Selecting plants based on the climate of the area is essential to a healthy garden. Here Karen chose plants that are well adapted to full sun.
Karen uses drought-tolerant California native plants and Mediterranean plants ideal for the Santa Cruz coastal climate.
Karen benefits from having her garden situated in a redwood grove. The trees provide a constant supply of additional mulch, shade the soil to increase water retention, and house beneficial predators and pollinators.
In the backyard, Karen grows a variety of ferns which are well adapted to lower canopy of the redwood forest.
