Hello, APPLES team!

Well wishes from Harrisburg, PA as you kick off 2017! …just an update after a six month quiet spell…we have a very busy winter and spring upcoming, though. Our plan is finally gaining traction with our school district and in a few weeks, we will be introducing our OTCs and project to our community at our annual STEAM night. We will continue building and testing mini greenhouse models to start some of our test plants and our tentative installation of our OTCs in their permanent locations will happen prior to sweethearts’ day–warmer than average temps are useful with this timeline! We will also be working closely with our community muralists to get our paint and create on in March as we add educational signage/garden inspiration on our school street-front walls and garden path to beautify and preserve our equipment!

Year-round student gardener-naturalists are submitting less complaints about heading outside in “winter” and asking why we aren’t going outside if we have to work indoors for class: WIN!

Our 5th-8th grade student population and our administrative team have given support to the selection of our two semi-permanent OTC sites. Number 1–qorsoq–will be at the street-side entrance of our school, while our number 2–tungujortoq–will be placed on a visible section of campus where we hope to develop vertical gardens and murals as a part of a long-term community greening collaboration with the city water authority.

Cheers to you!

The PA “good green (and blue)” APPLES