'Importance Of Agriculture' Among Lessons Permaculture Garden To Offer
NAPERVILLE, IL — The permaculture garden at Naper Settlement is designed to span just 350 square feet of the 13-acre campus, but its impact will be more far-reaching, Naper Settlement President and CEO Rena Tamayo-Calabrese explained to Patch.
Not only will the garden provide corn, beans and squash for local food banks, it will also teach visitors about indigenous agriculture and line up with recent state mandates for educators, per Tamayo-Calabrese.
“The idea is part of the overall goal to tell a whole history and to develop an Ag Hub using our existing buildings and grounds where visitors can experience the importance of agriculture from the time of our indigenous people to today through hands-on formal education programming, summer camps and adult education.”
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The garden, which recently got a boost from a $21,000 grant from DuPage Foundation, will be tended by employees of Naper Settlement and OLI Gardens via an ongoing volunteer partnership.
“They have been working with us for several years on the victory gardens at Naper Settlement and do a terrific job!” Tamayo-Calabrese said.
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In the future, Naper Settlement aims to integrate the garden into “hands-on” curriculum for students and summer camp participants.
With the help of the DuPage Foundation grant money, Naper Settlement will hire an indigenous expert to develop the permaculture garden’s design. The funds will also help excavation, planting and upkeep for the garden.
She said the garden’s mission will also align with two new statewide educational mandates. The first, HB4895, requires public high schools to mandate instruction about climate change. The second, HB1633, required public elementary schools and high schools to mandate instruction about the experience of Native Americans in Illinois and the Midwest.
Tamayo-Calabrese said Naper Settlement will work closely with ingidigenous experts and educators on curriculum pertaining to the garden.
She said, “We are very grateful to the DuPage Foundation for making this educational program a reality for not only DuPage residents but for all of Illinois.”
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