VOA慢速英语--City Gardens Educate, Create Community

A big city might not seem like the best place to learn about nature and the environment. But one group in Washington, D.C. is trying to change that.

City Blossoms¹ is a non-profit organization with the goal of bringing nature to children who might not otherwise have green spaces. The organization has assisted in creating green space at seven elementary schools, two high schools and 18 early childhood centers across D.C.

City Blossoms has its own educators who teach children lessons centered on gardening and nature.

Tara McNerney is the director of City Blossoms and a former teacher. She said City Blossoms' lessons center on environmental science, healthy living skills like cooking, and artistic² expression.

In the garden, students can learn environmental ideas like plant lifecycles or ecosystems³. But teachers can also use the green space for reading lessons by reading a garden-related book or learning nature vocabulary. Even math could be taught in the garden.

"We're really able to adapt into the subjects that the teachers are wanting to teach," McNerney said.

City Blossoms' partnerships⁴ with local schools are meant to last at least three to four years. City Blossoms assists schools in creating and caring for the garden. But the gardens are mainly operated by the schools. McNerney said she partners with schools that already understand the importance of an outdoor education and that want to keep the garden at the school for many years.

"It's a school-run program that City Blossoms is supporting," McNerney said. "We don't want it to be a ‘plop and drop' garden where it's seen as a City Blossoms garden and it's not fully⁵ embraced by the community, because that won't really lead to a sustainable garden program."

In City Blossoms' five other community gardens, the organization supports the garden and provides nature activities for the community. But the spaces remain community-driven.

"At the end of the day, we're not designing these sites," said Isa Zambrano. She helps maintain the community spaces for City Blossoms. "The community designs it. Every garden takes the shape of the community and the culture that exists there."

Young children and older adults have gotten involved with the community green spaces, said Kendra Hazel. She oversees⁶ the community gardens for City Blossoms. During cooking lessons, for example, people will tell about meals that are special to their culture.

The community gardens represent the diversity of D.C., Zambrano said. "It's like putting pieces together of so many different people and cultures and neighborhoods."

Food deserts

Healthy food is hard to find in some parts of Washington, D.C., especially in poorer areas. About 15 percent of D.C. is a "food desert." A food desert is an area where the nearest supermarket is more than 1.6 kilometers away. In the two poorest sections of Washington, D.C. -- Ward⁷ 7 and 8 -- there are just three supermarkets for 160,000 people.

Seven of City Blossoms' gardens are in those two wards⁸. Part of the organization's mission is to "grow in spaces that might not otherwise have green spaces, and might not have fresh, healthy food," McNerney said.

For older students at two D.C. high schools, students learn how to grow and harvest crops through City Blossoms' Mighty⁹ Greens program. Students in the program also sell their vegetables and herbs at local farmers markets.

‘Getting your hands dirty'

While City Blossoms' main goal is to teach children, many older families and adults have also gotten involved. The organization holds gardening lessons for all ages.

Hazel said the pandemic has made people want to spend more time outside experiencing nature.

"People have really woken up to the fact that green spaces are really important in our communities," Hazel said. They have realized the good that comes from "being outside and being disconnected from technology, and just being," she added. "And getting your hands dirty."

Words in This Story

garden — n. an area of ground where plants such as flowers or vegetables are grown

adapt — v. to change your behavior so that it is easier to live in a particular place or situation

plop — v. to sit or lie down in a heavy or careless way

embrace — v. to accept readily¹⁰ or gladly

sustainable — adj. able to last or continue for a long time

maintain — v. to keep (something) in good condition by making repairs, correcting problems, etc.

diversity — n. the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization

supermarket — n. a store where customers can buy a variety of foods and usually household items

ward — n. one of the sections into which a city or town is divided for the purposes of an election

1 blossoms   

n.（尤指果树的）花( blossom的名词复数 )；花丛，花簇v.（植物）开花( blossom的第三人称单数 )；发展；长成；变得更加健康（或自信、成功）

参考例句：

• It was springtime and the slopes were ablaze with almond blossoms. 时当春季，怒放的扁桃花使那片山坡鲜红似火。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The spring comes and peach blossoms [flowers] are all open. 春天了，桃花都开了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

3 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

4 partnerships   

n.伙伴关系( partnership的名词复数 )；合伙人身份；合作关系

参考例句：

• Partnerships suffer another major disadvantage: decision-making is shared. 合伙企业的另一主要缺点是决定要由大家来作。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• It involved selling off limited partnerships. 它涉及到售出有限的合伙权。 来自辞典例句

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

7 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

8 wards   

区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态

参考例句：

• This hospital has 20 medical [surgical] wards. 这所医院有 20 个内科[外科]病房。
• It was a big constituency divided into three wards. 这是一个大选区，下设三个分区。

9 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。

10 readily   

adv.欣然地，容易地，很快地，立即

参考例句：

• I promise all costs will be readily returned.我保证所有的费用会迅速偿还。
• Most plastics do not readily conduct heat or electricity.大多数塑料不易传热或导电。