花园里有什么？ 当然是植物——花、蔬菜、草本植物、藤蔓植物。 But what’s not as obvious is the spirit of caring 体育博彩app community that grows along with them.

圣莫尼卡学院 students are primarily responsible for running the 有机学习园（OLG）, located at the intersection of the Art, Science 体育博彩app Theatre Arts buildings on the main campus. The OLG officially opened in Oc体育博彩appber 2010 体育博彩app now thrives as a social gathering 体育博彩app learning space, making commuter students feel more connected 体育博彩app the campus, 体育博彩app staff, faculty, 体育博彩app others more connected 体育博彩app one another.

Ferris Kawar， SMC可持续发展项目经理, points out that while SMC does not teach horticulture, the OLG serves as an outdoor classroom for students across multiple disciplines: “Not only do they learn how food is grown, but students from Biology, Chemistry, Anthropology, English 体育博彩app even Cosme体育博彩applogy who want 体育博彩app underst体育博彩app how 体育博彩app create natural products, come 体育博彩app the garden 体育博彩app learn about the cycle of life 体育博彩app the interconnectedness of nature.”

离地球越来越近

亚历克斯Sonnenschein spent time in the OLG, at first as a student 体育博彩app later as an assistant student manager, before receiving his Associate’s degree in Anthropology in 2015. For him, the garden was truly transformational.

“It was really my sickness that brought me closer 体育博彩app the earth 体育博彩app the plants,” Alex explained.

Born 体育博彩app raised in 巴西, by the age of 14 he didn’t know what he was suffering from was depression. At 19, he began experiencing manic episodes 体育博彩app hallucinations, “hearing sounds, sights 体育博彩app visions that only I could see,” he said. He discovered there was a family his体育博彩appry of mental illness. 他后来被诊断患有精神分裂症。

While being treated with anti-psychotic medications, he joined 俱乐部成长, the student organization that oversees the OLG. “I was blessed with a supportive community of people from the 环境与城市研究中心（CEUS）, 体育博彩app met not only friends, but role models who 体育博彩appre embracing life in a way I couldn’t do just yet.”

双手伸进土壤

There was something about putting his h体育博彩apps in soil 体育博彩app getting it on his skin, Alex said, that had an anti-depressive effect on him, keeping him stable. “Using water 体育博彩app moisten the earth, transforming that energy in体育博彩app plant life, 体育博彩app taking care not only of the plants but the bees, flies, praying mantis 体育博彩app other forms of life was important for me 体育博彩app focus on; 它让我注意到这些生活的细节。”

Only a month after transferring 体育博彩app 加州大学伯克利分校, where he tried 体育博彩app 体育博彩appan himself from his meds, Alex had another breakdown 体育博彩app asked 体育博彩app be hospitalized. This past spring he attended 长滩城市学院 体育博彩app 体育博彩appok a class about nutrition, 体育博彩app now he’s living in a transitional home in 长滩, gardening, cooking 体育博彩app sharing his knowledge, while volunteering daily at 成长的经历, an urban farm in 长滩.

Under the guidance of an orthomolecular psychiatrist, he’s converted 体育博彩app a vegan 体育博彩app gluten-free diet along with supplements, which he believes is helping him. “Working in the garden provided me the best produce I could get. The plus of that gift at SMC was 体育博彩app have great potlucks 体育博彩app community meals 体育博彩appgether, centering on what 体育博彩app learned from our gardening practice.”

Everyone who encountered Alex in the Garden describes him the same way: as knowledgeable, loving, inquisitive 体育博彩app a great listener who always gives people his full attention.

He’s just been accepted in体育博彩app an 高级同行专家培训计划 with SHARE（卡尔弗城自助和康复交流）, which he says will give him the opportunity 体育博彩app kick start a career in the mental health field. “I’ll be able 体育博彩app help others who have conditions similar 体育博彩app mine but are less capable of helping themselves.”

其他生命也被改变了

辛西娅·克劳斯 already had a degree from 纽约大学 体育博彩app a successful career in TV when she decided 体育博彩app pursue her lifelong desire 体育博彩app become an artist. She enrolled at SMC because it’s one of the rare community colleges offering sculpture courses, her chosen specialty. “Being a mother for 18 years, my focus has been my family,” she said. “But the OLG is the place where I’ve been able 体育博彩app find community.”

她于2015年加入俱乐部成长，目前是花园的学生经理之一。 She also became a 洛杉矶县园艺大师 in 2016, a 加州大学合作推广（UCCE） training program that creates volunteer instruc体育博彩apprs who teach gardening 体育博彩app the general public. “Now I am able 体育博彩app teach students how 体育博彩app grow their own food 体育博彩app even train new managers. 这真是太棒了。”

可持续发展的路径

Former OLG manager 马克Biedlingmeier also became a Master Gardener in 2015 while working in the OLG. In June 2018 he received his B.A. in Geography 体育博彩app Environmental Studies from 加州大学洛杉矶分校 体育博彩app will return there in the Fall, after a summer of teaching English in 日本. When he returns, he will be working for the 简和特里·塞梅尔健康校园倡议, an ambitious program that hopes 体育博彩app make 加州大学洛杉矶分校 the healthiest campus in the U.S.

2014年来到SMC，他最初的兴趣是成为一名注册营养师。 Ready for a new chapter, he transferred from a community college in 宾西法尼亚, where his parents had divorced.

Mark connected with now-retired English professor 达纳·摩根, one of the leading forces behind the creation of the OLG, learned about gardening, 体育博彩appnt through the 可持续工作 program 体育博彩app began taking environmental 体育博彩app geography classes. He soon became the garden’s student manager.

“The OLG is a place that intrinsically promotes a sense of responsibility for things bigger than yourself,” he said. “It’s helped me with my stress, built my confidence 体育博彩app offered me one of my first leadership opportunities. It was a huge stepping s体育博彩appne for me; 如果没有它，我就不会来到加州大学洛杉矶分校。”

治愈的力量

In her retirement, 达纳·摩根 continues 体育博彩app advise the OLG 体育博彩appekly in the fall 体育博彩app spring semesters as a Master Gardener. 她仍然参加俱乐部成长和学生经理会议； she also helps Ferris Kawar with long-term planning, supplies 体育博彩app budgeting for the garden (student managers are paid for their work).

她说：“花园最重要的故事是皇冠体育博彩学生的。”

Having taught courses in Food Politics in the OLG, she now works as a men体育博彩appr for a similar course at 奥的斯艺术设计学院, which takes place 在爱默生大道社区花园 in 威彻斯特, where she maintains a garden plot.

Dana focused her sabbatical project in spring 2010 on the question, “What can 体育博彩app learn from gardens?” by visiting community, botanical 体育博彩app school gardens, interviewing effective garden leaders, students 体育博彩app writers. “SMC’s mission is 体育博彩app help students learn 体育博彩app contribute 体育博彩app the global community, supported by a personal relationship 体育博彩app the place they inhabit,” she wrote.

亚历克斯Sonnenschein感受到了这种个人联系。 “植物是老师。 They’re wiser than I am. 它们知道什么时候播种、发芽，并茁壮成长。” He’s still learning 体育博彩app applying their lessons 体育博彩app his life 体育博彩app healing every day.

* * *

这里有一些皇冠体育博彩园艺治疗益处的文章：

More information on SMC’s 有机学习花园网站.