Community Gardening

Last Modified on February 22, 2012

School gardens are a powerful means of instilling lifelong environmental and nutritional literacy in children.  The garden engages students by providing a dynamic environment in which to observe, discover, experiment, nurture, and learn.  It is a living laboratory where lessons are drawn from real-life experiences rather than textbook examples, allowing students to become active participants in the learning process.

LaBonte Park Outdoor Learning Center

With the help of many community volunteers, local businesses, and space allocated by the City of Laramie Parks and Recreation Department there are new gardens located on the northeast corner of LaBonte Park. There are 16 plots in the

Community Garden and they are diverse in size, shape and personality. The north side of the site hosts a much larger ‘Kids’ garden and greenhouse.  The Kids’  Garden is used to teach children about  gardening in Laramie’s challenging environment from seeds to harvest.

A grant from Wyoming State Forestry provided a fruit tree grove including apples, plums and cherry trees. 

Slade Elementary Garden

LRCD is the recipient of a potting greenhouse donated by Laurn and Eloise Wilhelm. The greenhouse will be used for educational purposes and growing out seedlings for wind breaks and living snow fences. Students will learn the four factors of plant growth— heat, light, water and air. An imbalance can cause stress to the plants. Students will be able to experiment with controlling the environment while growing transplants for their school gardens.

Students from the U of WY Lab School developed a test plot of potatoes at the Territorial Prison. The varieties planted were distant relatives, originally planted by inmates during the time the prison was in use. Colorado State University provided the seed potatoes. Territorial park staff, LRCD and volunteers maintained the plot during the summer.

Funding from the Beautification Committee provided ADA accessible walkways, Laramie Garden Club provided top soil, James Waggoner provided the fertilizer, and the University Acres Farm provided compost material.

The LaBonte Outdoor Learning Center and Community/Kids Gardens wins the Innovation Award. The objective of the award is to enhance the quality of life in the City of Laramie by encouraging improve-ments and constructive contributions to the community‘s aesthetics and physical environment. Entrants must be either business, citizens, public or private organizations in the Laramie area. The contest is sponsored by Laramie Beautification Committee Community Coalition.

The Outdoor Learning Center provides people of all ages an opportunity to have experiences in an outdoor setting while instilling an appreciation for natural resources.

Demonstration bed for small spaces. This bed provides areas for regular and vertical planting.