EMA and LAUSD: GET TO KNOW YOUR LOCAL SCHOOL GARDENS
Venice Senior High School
The Venice High School garden, also known as “The Learning Garden” was first planted in March of 2001. Since the first planting, the 60,000 square foot garden has blossomed into a project that has supported the school and the local community. Featuring multiple types of gardens including a medicinal plant section, a cacti garden, and a California native plant section, the garden can grow just about any type of crop, all organically.
Both Venice students and members of the community tend to garden plots. Multiple high school classes are run in the garden and the community also uses the garden for activities such as yoga and tai-chi classes.
The Venice H.S. garden is one of the model schools from the Learning Garden foundation. It also serves as a source of food to the community, donating up to 300 pounds of food per week to the Westside Foodbank.
Olivia Wilde (who adopted the Venice Learning Garden as part of the EMA program) planting with the students.
The Venice Learning Garden has quickly become one of the country's largest and most successful school gardens and houses a wide variety of plants, flowers and produce.
The garden is a community garden which puts importance on xeriscaped sections, containing local plants that require minimal water. The students also have access to the green house and the patio (above.)
The mini amphitheater is a great place to congregate for instructional lessons.
The community garden allows local residents the option to grow and harvest crops.
