Fruit for All
Students at Blenheim School have really embraced interactive outdoor learning.
They’ve just planted a variety of thirty fruit trees – with support from the wider school, the gardening community, Marlborough District Council and Nelson Marlborough District Health Board.
Before they selected the fruit trees and decided where they were to be planted, the students spent time in class researching fruit trees and how to care for them. Their decision to plant many of the trees around the boundary of the school mean the fruit will be easily accessible and will give the school an opportunity to connect with the Blenheim community.
Nine year old William is enthusiastic about the fruit trees. “By having an orchard at school I will learn how to care for my lemon and feijoa tree at home,” he says.
While Diana says she loves getting her hands dirty and ‘getting out of the classroom.’
The established vegetable garden and the new orchard will be a great learning tool for students. Teachers will also reap rewards when the children demonstrate enthusiasm and excitement about watching their plants grow and get enjoyment from eating the produce.
