Evaluation
Garden after implementaion
Final distribution
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I think that the yields obtained where great, not only the benefits from the social urban agriculture but also with a good production. The companion planting has work very well and have kept the pest away, having a good production of annual plats as tomatoes, pumpkins, peppers, corn, beans, lettuce, etc., aromatic plants as basil, oregano, mint, and flowers as marigold, nasturtiums, sunflowers ...
But the area has had more difficulties and many of its plants have died is zone 4 with perennial native plants, perhaps because they have had more difficult access to water in their stage adaptation place.
Is very probably that is not going to be for me a next year of implementation at this school, so is very important to have a good evaluation and give them the best tweaks to continue by they own for the future years.
But the area has had more difficulties and many of its plants have died is zone 4 with perennial native plants, perhaps because they have had more difficult access to water in their stage adaptation place.
Is very probably that is not going to be for me a next year of implementation at this school, so is very important to have a good evaluation and give them the best tweaks to continue by they own for the future years.
SWOC Evaluation
I have used SWOC to evaluate with which thinks this school works better to accentuate, and which thinks are better not to try again, making the most appropriate and easy way for them to be enjoyable and successfully job.
Strenghts
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Weaknesses
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Opportunities
- Many parents that have come to the school are farmers, and they had seen the process of building this site with a very different focus of agriculture that they are use to, with other techniques and uses of the land that have waked up curiosity and questions when they have seen that this was successful.
- I had the opportunity to practice an urban project and learn to apply permaculture at a government school. This has push my motivation on having more knowledge about it, and inspire me to develop a possible business plan working with schools.
Challenges
- Is been a fight some times to get crucial things done in time. But when the teachers saw how many lost and troubles had the garden because they didn't follow the schedule, they learn how important is and I think that next year they will take it more seriously.
- I realize that teachers at the school was not really into gardening and also was difficult to get them motivated, so I had to give them everything very easy. They didn't want to extra think much and after class they just want wanted to go home. Next school garden I want to start designing a calendar from patterns to details, so participants who are not very into gardening can have some guidelines to follow, they are not much lost and they can be more motivate by feeling that they are part of the project.
Goals Evaluation
I think I have reach all of my goals.
Lets take a look again of my project Goals:
>Integrate a gardening system in our local primary school
>Through gardening experience educate and sensitize kids about:
-Where food comes from
-Produce food organically
-Food diversity Introduce kids to natural patterns
>Expand students knowledge in ecology
>Participate in an urban project
>Improve my skills in a governmental institution environment
>Gain experience in work with permaculture with children
I think I have reach all of my goals.
Lets take a look again of my project Goals:
>Integrate a gardening system in our local primary school
>Through gardening experience educate and sensitize kids about:
-Where food comes from
-Produce food organically
-Food diversity Introduce kids to natural patterns
>Expand students knowledge in ecology
>Participate in an urban project
>Improve my skills in a governmental institution environment
>Gain experience in work with permaculture with children
Reflections
Ethics
Earth Care |
People Care |
Fair Share |
I think that bringing organic gardening to schools is crucial for future generations to gain respect for our planet.
I hope that after the experience kids has better understood about how the biology of soil and plants work, and it will be easier to them to respect it and take care on how they might can get them food in a more environmentally friendly way in the future. |
This work is dedicated not only to young students but also teachers, parents and locals that everyday interact with the school.
I hope that because the garden is located in such a busy site, serves as an example for many of the locals who live and work for the harmful conventional farming. |
I can not say that the work done has been shared in a fair way.
From the beginning the school made it clear that there was going to be no reward for me, but somehow I've managed to find out some by doing my diploma and putting into practice knowledge. Plus few free veggies :). |
Project Reflections
I had many challenges in terms of personal resources, as mostly was from lack of time, electricity and internet at home.
Also I was making this project at the same time as 7 and 8, and some times I was accumulating lots of information that was difficult to be filed at the computer before disappear.
That's why I did this project more simple, but concentrate to try to make understand the most important items.
I wanted to keep the same web aesthetic work line to the other projects, and this has taken me more time doing the digital implementation.
Because I did not do a previous enough detailed interview, I did not see clear where the boundaries of the conditions of the school was.
I feel that the principles was getting integrated automatically almost in an unconsciousness level, may from the experience of been implementing other PC gardens in the past. Maybe could be more explained every principle but I tried to touch them in a (I think) more holistic writing way.
For this project I have felt comfortable by using the Holmgren Principles.
Systems into Systems analysis has been very good to see in a big picture of the garden as a system, and the interactions that have with bigger systems around.
As always I have found very useful to use Sector analysis as a tool that I think is crucial to take the best of the site, and Zoning to distribute the elements. and thanks to this project also I have get deeper into home made soil test.
I have find that OBREDIMET process is very practical an functional to do simple site projects, but because it was the first time I have used I have forgotten to do my Tweaks :p , so I have written it about two years after (we my tutor has reviewed my project), so I have taken the chance to think about how to improve the site with more experienced mind.
Professional Reflections
I thought that work with a governmental institution was going to be more challenge, but was actually very flexible and adaptable. I could express and implement my ideas with no objections, and seems that we had a good understanding between us.
By using the school questionnaire has made me feel that it has made more careful and professional the observations and analysis, seeing that it is a good role model for future work with schools.
I have saw that to have a better organised work is very important to design a activities program, where the teachers and parents have very clear all the steps to follow and when they have to do things, then they don't have a extra thinking to do and they can relax knowing that they have somebody that thought what to do.
I learned a lot on how to organize this activities and I have recycled my knowledge. Also I have put it into practice how to deal with kids groups, something I did a lot on the past. Now I feel much more comfortable to propose a school to do a veg garden, having more present the boundaries that can be and be more realistic in terms to do an appropriate project for each situation, avoiding disasters, or an over effort of work from my side.
I see myself more able to work with children, and how to reach different ages with divers levels of understanding.
I can see like another good option to work as a professional at the schools, having more confidence to get a successful results.
Is nice to do some volunteer job especialy when is for kids, but if I do another school project I will want to be paid in some way. Public schools in Spain have money to invest in this kind of projects, and finally is a lot of input from my side. This input have a value that have to be compensated, if not its because the school is not interested enough, and non obtaining a personal yield I will devalue my and the others professional job.
Personal Reflections
This project had many faces in terms of personal view points, I do like very much working with kids, they really enjoy what they do and I feel I'm doing something good for them and our future. They has payed me with the satisfaction with them happiness during the process.
But other side is to see that only one teachers was interested about. It´s been very challenge to work with people that are not implicate or motivated.
At the beginning of the project I had contact with the ex-director of the school, he asked me to help to the garden team. After few weeks I saw that he was the only one working and was not a teacher commission involve, in theory there was two more teacher involved but after nine month I still didn't meet them.
My help became like, if you don't do it's ok, if something grows or not is fine. Then I made myself responsible of it knowing that the success of the garden was depending totally on my input, and if I didn't keep going all the work I put before was going to be lost.
It's very personal had felt pressured to be the one responsible, I think in other occasion I will valued long before the school expectations to avoid unnecessary concerns and to know better before where they want to arrive.
Time Reflections
It's difficult to know how much time exactly I put in this project during the nine month job. I expended hours in meetings, at the classes with the kids, at the garden, and at home doing the write and adding all the documentation.
I made a list with the different ways I have spented my time in this project, some are the ones I did at the school and others on the computer.
At school- Meetings: 10h
- Class with kids: 10h
- Garden: 30h
At the computer- Synopsis: 45m
- Observations: 5h + 5h Questionnaire
- Boundaries & Resources 6h
- Evaluation: 7h
- Design: 7h
- Implement: 6h
- Maintenance: 5h
- Evaluation & tweaks: 4h
- Appendix: 3,30h
Tweaks
17/10/2016
I'm writing this section two years after I have finished my evaluation, because I have forgotten to do it before my tutor has advised to me to make a section for my project tweaks, so I have thought that was better to talk after all this time of experiences.
I think the garden worked very well, in fact the following year they have exactly replicated it. It was beautiful garden but in terms of maintenance maybe is not the most practical.
Irrigation systems are complex with this type of raising beds, and more difficult to fix; Also as I have seen many times that kids needs a strong and safe structures because if they can climb some probably will, and if I don't have a good insurance I could be in troubles.
Also do the wood work is necessary and high labour intensive, and teachers or fathers have to be very, very motivated to do it until the end or most probably the structure will be very damaged from people erosion through the site, and next year they will have to start from zero.
I'm writing this section two years after I have finished my evaluation, because I have forgotten to do it before my tutor has advised to me to make a section for my project tweaks, so I have thought that was better to talk after all this time of experiences.
I think the garden worked very well, in fact the following year they have exactly replicated it. It was beautiful garden but in terms of maintenance maybe is not the most practical.
Irrigation systems are complex with this type of raising beds, and more difficult to fix; Also as I have seen many times that kids needs a strong and safe structures because if they can climb some probably will, and if I don't have a good insurance I could be in troubles.
Also do the wood work is necessary and high labour intensive, and teachers or fathers have to be very, very motivated to do it until the end or most probably the structure will be very damaged from people erosion through the site, and next year they will have to start from zero.
I think that if I have to advise to make another garden at this same school I'll recommend to do something like the Gaspar Caballero technique called Crestall garden beds (you can know more watching at the following video).
They very easy to understand and install, and even inexperienced teachers can do. Easy to maintain and walk through. It's simple and minimizes the dangerous points that can cause injuries. By doing this technique or similar can be introduced same concepts as before like companion, planting, soil fertility, etc. As more easy you do for the teachers and parents as more chances to success. |
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Also next time I'll take more in consideration to put heavy mulch at the site paths, as weeds can grow as to the point that kids can't recognise where the accesses are, and contribute to the beds erosion.
Project resources
- Written text: Open office.
- Photo editor: Gimp 2.8.6.
- Mind Maps: VUE.
- Camera: Panasonic DMC-TZ20
- Acer Notebook Laptop with windows 7.
- Pen, markers & paper.
- Staedtler Technical Drawing Board.
- Internet: google translator, youtube.com.