Replant the White House Gardens @ LA Eco-Village

This is a photo of a school garden that was created by...

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 02:30:09 -0500

This is a photo of a school garden that was created by volunteers and tended by children from 7th Street school in downtown LA.

“7th Street students planted neat rows of flowers and vegetables that won awards. Their garden was a renowned success, and the program expanded with additional land. By 1913, under Larkey’s watch, more than 70,000 students across the city tilled and sowed 150 formerly vacant lots. Teachers encouraged this planting zeal by integrating garden study into classes on geometry, science and art. Parents participated, reading the books that became bestsellers in a greening America.”

Amazing how history repeats itself… in a good way.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2012/02/lost-la-school-gardens.html

LAUSD signs the dotted line! WHPLG is coming to life

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 19:15:08 -0500

Yes!!! After 3 years of planning and negotiations, and over 18 years since the garden was inspired by dedicated LA Ecovillagers, the White House Place Learning Garden is coming to life. LAUSD signed the joint use agreement last week, and looks forward to working with the Beverly Vermont Community Land Trust to operate the garden and making it accessible to students and families from the 8+ schools in our neighborhood.

The real estate guys, who once talked about bulldozing the land for a parking lot are now excited to see this as a model development of a school- community joint use garden. Thank you to Lara Morrison, Lois Arkin, Kristen Benjamin, Dore Burry, and Irma Garcia who helped move the WHPLG to the next stage.

Thank you to Lois Arkin, Lara Morrison and architect Ian...

Sun, 04 Jul 2010 01:31:01 -0400

Thank you to Lois Arkin, Lara Morrison and architect Ian McIlvaine for putting the vision to paper & help bringing this garden a big step forward!

Photo

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 02:48:31 -0400

Hope you can come. Will be the first in a series, so check back...

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 23:39:06 -0500

Hope you can come. Will be the first in a series, so check back if you can’t make it.

Thinking, dreaming & planning for our the White House Place...

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:14:00 -0400

Thinking, dreaming & planning for our the White House Place Learning Garden, found a video of Proyecto Jardin & my friends Rob & Daisy who volunteered countless hours to its creation It features the medicine garden & water fountain I designed with Dadisi & Sheena for our Permaculture class back in 2004. So inspired to see its evolution & hopeful for bringing its spirit to our neighborhood.

@ the Garden at Larchmont Charter School

Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:51:48 -0400

Garden

In our third year, we added a credentialed teacher to create and implement a garden/science curriculum, loosely inspired by Alice Water’s The Edible Schoolyard. Garden studies at LCS are aligned with California State Science Standards. Children keep a garden journal to record data, impressions and reflections on garden activities. Children grow their own vegetables from seeds that they plant, while they learn about the life sciences. The 3rd grade is learning about composting and composting food waste in a donated composter. Our planting focus is on a “salad bar garden” based on a design from Heartbeet Gardening, a group run by graduates of a nearby school, The Marlborough School. The holistic curriculum includes eating healthy lunches and healthy snacks.

We have a Master Gardener who volunteers on a bi-weekly basis to assist with the garden class, along with parent volunteers from the garden committee to assist in the different activities. There are raised beds for every classroom in our school plan, which also includes a native garden, zoo garden, five senses garden, child-scaled sundial, weather station, butterfly reading garden and flower teepee.

LCS is currently writing a green school plan to include:
1) environmental awareness and support
2) edible garden
3) further the use of the garden integrated with science instruction
4) instructional landscaping
5) recycling program
6) service learning
7) utilization of non-polluting cleaning supplies and maintenance of site

Inspired by gardeners throughout the Philippines, here’s...

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:02:00 -0400

Inspired by gardeners throughout the Philippines, here’s our mini film in Filipino. Big thanks to Joana Leonido, garden crusader & MCLC Academy of Social Justice alumnus for her translation help.

Here’s the design proposed by architect, CRSP board...

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:49:39 -0400

Here’s the design proposed by architect, CRSP board member, and long-time LA Eco-Villager, Ian McIlvain.

LAUSD meets with LA Eco-Villagers to consider Saving the White House Place Gardens

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 01:35:00 -0400

LAUSD meets with LA Eco-Villagers to consider Saving the White House Place Gardens:

Thanks to Joe Linton for sharing this good news on his blog. LAUSD is still considering the proposal. So please continue to encourage their progress, follow the link above, then

SIGN THE PETITION HERE!

Common Vison, invited by LA Eco-Village to provide a wonderful...

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:21:10 -0400

Common Vison, invited by LA Eco-Village to provide a wonderful workshop about the importance of Fruit Trees for beauty and nutrition, plants a Hibiscus bush on compus with Virgil students (2008). Click on photo to Sign the Petition

Urban Farmer & MacArthur Fellow, Will Allen inspires his...

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:28:45 -0400

Urban Farmer & MacArthur Fellow, Will Allen inspires his neighborhood & the nation!

Now that Summer is officially here, it’s Tomato Time! Boys...

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:14:52 -0400

Now that Summer is officially here, it’s Tomato Time!

Boys from our neighborhood collected tomatos from the White House Place Garden (1996).

Check out Comments from our Signatories

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 19:05:36 -0400

Check out Comments from our Signatories

Eco Villagers Build community Bench at the White House Place...

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 17:10:00 -0400

Eco Villagers Build community Bench at the White House Place Gardens

(Los Angeles, 1993)

A sincere request to save the garden. Thank you Zev! Sign...

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 04:01:57 -0400

A sincere request to save the garden. Thank you Zev!

Sign petition here!

Please watch the video and click on the link below to sign our...

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 02:39:19 -0400

Please watch the video and click on the link below to sign our petition to Monica Garcia & LAUSD. Thank you for your support! Sign petition here!

The WHO Farm Bus Visits White House Place, LA on the way to the...

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:35:24 -0400

The WHO Farm Bus Visits White House Place, LA on the way to the White House in D.C.

Our Petition.

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 22:27:00 -0400

We urge the honorable Mónica García to support changes to the designs for Central Region Elementary School #20 (CRES#20) that will foster a healthier and safer neighborhood for students, families, staff and the neighborhood. At a recent school district meeting Ms. García stated her interest in working with the community on this project. We encourage Ms. García to keep her promise.

We ask the LAUSD to redesign the projected parking lot planned at the corner of Bimini Place and White House Place. We ask that the the parking lot design preserve the safety and walkability of these streets. Additionally, we ask that the existing vacant lot at the corner of Whitehouse place and Bimini be left for use as a horticultural project that can be used to serve the seven schools in the area. In the past this site served as a school garden, and we urge you to preserve the existing hill so that it can return to that use. Preserving this site can reduce the school district’s expenses, improve security, provide healthy food, enhance student learning, facilitate inter-generational collaboration, and reduce pollution.

Please act now for a healthier future for our kids, our families, and our communities. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sign Our Petition