Haley Eloise Caroline P

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Table of Contents Photos ……………………………………………………………………………………………………3 Organism of the Year Article …………………………………………………………………..4 Propaganda Poster………………………………………………………………………………….5 One Wild and Precious Life Poems ………………………………………………………6-8 Barbaric Yawp Poems ………………………………………………………………………..9-11 Pasadena Community Gardens …………………………………………………………….12 History of the Arlington Garden ……………………………………………………………13 A Deeper Look into Soil with Amy Whist ……………………………………………….14 Letters from the Editors …………………………………………………………………..15-16 Vegetable Gossip…………………………………………………………………………………..18 Who wore it better……………………………………………………………………………….19

Some weeds that we pulled.

Bacteria

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Photos

Landscaping by Amy Whist.

Ron Finley's backyard.

Flowers from Ron Finley’s garden.

Succulent garden from the Arlington garden.

Our teachers at the Arlington Garden.

A flower from the Arlington Garden.

Amy W. Flower at Arlington.

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Organism of the Year Article: Bacteria Soil is very important to us because it enables our plants to grow. Our plants provide us with air which we need to live. Soil is necessary for the jobs of farmers. Soil and climate created our major forests, which are home to many plant species and a variety of animals. Many different types of soil are able to grow a variety of plants. The unalike types of plants give us a different resources that we can use for many things.

Soil erosion describes the washing away or blowing away of the upper part of the soil cover. Soil erosion is a major problem in most countries, because it’s not fertile enough to grow food. The two main causes of erosion are wind and water. Faltering aggregated soils disintegrate under the influence of heavy rainfall. Also the soil particles become mobilized. The perfect conditions for soil run off are sloping fields and weakly structured soil. Organic matter is the most important component of soil. Nothing can grow in soil that does not have organic matter.

Have you ever wondered what is in the soil? What is recycling the nutrients that enables the plants to grow? It’s bacteria! They are everywhere. They are in the soil, in your body, on your keyboard, and even in the air. They are the oldest fossils known, and they are simple creatures that do very important jobs that we humans cannot do. They are also decomposers, which means that when plants and animals die, they feed on them. They then release the nutrients, carbon, and nitrogen back into the soil, making the soil richer and easier to grow plants in.

Bacteria have three shapes: spirillum, bacillus, and coccus. They have cell membranes and cell walls. Bacteria are all unicellular prokaryotes. They can be either heterotrophic or autotrophic. Bacteria make up the domain Eubacteria. They are about 3.5 billion years old. There are about five million trillion trillion types of bacteria, because they multiply very quickly.

In the soil, the bacteria are able to perform chemical transformations that can help the plants around them. For instance, Azotobacter is a free living bacteria that turns atmospheric nitrogen into ammonium. This can only happen if there is a certain amount of oxygen, phosphorus, soil pH, carbon, and nitrogen compounds. The majority of the bacteria population turns inorganic constituents into a variety of chemicals. Sometimes they release enzymes that can be used by plants and other things living in the soil.

We chose bacteria as the organism of the year because it keeps the soil fertile and helps the plants stay alive. Bacteria is the oldest fossil known to man and is a huge part of our everyday life. It benefits us in many ways. We all depend on it and the work that it does.

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Propaganda Poster

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One Wild and Precious Life Poems Surroundings Above me lie knots on the trunk, like grandfather’s knobby knees An old broken bench sits in the far distance of the air that we people live on Crawling of the furry little creature, the far-off knocking of a hammer The slowly flowing the thick liquid, sweet but not like the ripened fruit, just softer Smelling like freshly picked mint Thicker than paper, but like old leather shoes You can tear them, like thick cloth Its branches are like arms and leaves grow on extensions like the fingers on your hand The view of a child kicking his ball back and forth Rough and shaggy like uncombed hair As the sun shines down the herbs brighten their color Is this poem going to affect your life?

- Eloise W

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One wild and Precious Life Poems Above me, the red tree layers its leaves, protecting the small shrubs below it The palm trees sit still, waiting for a breeze of excitement to pass by The sound of untied shoes crushing the rocks beneath them crunches through the air The birds sing to each other, chirping a song of joy The vintage palm smells like the freshly burning wood in my mother’s fireplace The concrete bench smells like the cold rain that slides down the waterslide that is our earth The dirty pond smells like a toilet for all of the animals in the garden The green beehive floats slightly above my head, stiff as a statue, surrounding a branch that reaches toward the sun The king of the garden stretches his limbs out in all directions The sea of blue rocks runs in all directions, avoiding the cactuses among them The sun shines through the forest of tall green leaves My footprints remain in the dirt behind me leaving marks that will fade but never disappear - Haley M

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One Wild and Precious Life Poems One Wild and Precious Life Above me I see dark clouds I feel a chill as I sit down In the distance I see a head I’m not alone A small buzz in my ear As I fling myself up letting out a small shriek I’m relaxed again except for my heart beating I faintly hear cars reminding me that I haven’t completely left the city Sweet, fresh, relaxing My nostrils take it in Smooth, I can feel tiny ridges It tickles my face like a feather I see dark green I tiny spark of color shining through I see it jumping out I hear a ringing When I look back it’s gone Enveloped by the dark Green Being here I realize what the world has to offer I never live life I just go through it I want to peep out of the dark green and be the color out of the box and different This garden reminds me to live What’s the point of life if we don’t - Caroline P

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Barbaric Yawp Poems Who am I? I am buried in the deep earth where I came alive Humans, Plants, Animals all originate from me When it is time to come they become me As I grow food, oxygen, shelter no one acknowledges me As we all try to figure it out, you may not know who I am Let me introduce myself to you I am soil and you are me - Eloise W

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Barbaric Yawp Poems We are all from the soil I originated from there and I will someday return I will be that pumpkin attacked by decomposers I will give myself to the soil and the animals to come The soil that creates food Provides us with air to breath and the ability to dance to the song of the wind I will be that bright red apple that you hold in your hand I will be the flower that brightens your day as you walk by I will be a part of the soil Day to day I go on Never thinking about the ground beneath my feet Never thinking about the grass that I smoosh beneath the sole of my shoe Never thinking about the flower that I pluck from the ground Never thinking about how when I die I might be that flower That a little girl with hopes and dreams plucks from the grass and brings home to her mother That each and every one of us will return to our home Giving back to the soil from which we leaped - Haley M

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Barbaric Yawp Poems Every time I stick my feet into soil it brings me great joy I love the feeling of squishy, soft, cool earth I put my hand in it and this feeling of natural beauty runs through me I love this life; dirt, soil, earth There is so much more to it though It’s rich with organisms No matter where you are soil is beneath you There is a whole different world under our feet - Caroline P

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Pasadena Community Gardens The Pasadena community gardens is a place where people from all around Pasadena are able to participate in growing their own food and eating healthy. They turn vacant lots into stylish gardens for the whole community.

Each person has a wooden box that they create, and they fill it with their own choices of fruits, flowers, and/or vegetables that are chosen from a list that is provided to them by a master gardener. Everyone is responsible for his/her own part of the garden. They use an eco-friendly gardening system and everyone works together to keep the garden clean and usable for generations to come.

The garden was started when twelve citizens of Pasadena decided that there were not any community gardens in the area, and that it was time for that to change. Many other people of Pasadena shared this desire and wanted to be able to grow their own, healthy food. Once an open lot was found, citizens all over Pasadena pitched in to help to turn it into a suitable garden for all of the city.

To be able to participate in the gardens, you do have to apply for a membership. Everyone is considered, whether fortunate or not, but depending on space, some people are not able to join. Every member is expected to abide by the rules that came from the Altadena Community garden. Most of the members share their produce with the community, but it is not required.

There are many ways for you to get involved. For instance, you could donate materials and money. Another way is to spread the word to all of your friends and family. Volunteering is a great way to get involved as well. They are always trying to create new gardens near you. All of your help is greatly appreciated!

- Haley M

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The History of the Arlington Garden Arlington Gardens is a three acre lot where the citizens of Pasadena can enjoy the greenery. It is filled with many beautiful plants, flowers and other nature. The site was a staging area for construction for the 710 freeway but was vacant since 1961. Councilmember Steve Madison initiated the project. He requested Betty and Charles Mckenney to stir up an idea for use of the site.

Betty had suggested a garden because the neighbors were interested in a passive development.

The garden was inspired by Jan Smithen’s book, Sun Drenched Gardens.

The garden is Mediterranean Style. The basic aim of the garden was to develop a water-wise garden that includes our Mediterranean climate. The garden’s colors and cover attraction brings in butterflies and birds to show the community how beautiful the garden can be.

Arlington Gardens is a home to great variety of birds and animals. It provides shade, shelter, food, and water for a great variety of mammals.

Arlington Gardens contains walls, paths, amphitheaters, and sculptures all made from reclaimed concrete. Arlington Garden uses less water than most parks in the Pasadena area.

- Eloise W

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A Deeper Look into Soil with Amy W Amy whist is a very talented woman. She is a mother, wife, seamstress, but most of all a landscape designer. Amy describes her job as designing outdoor spaces. She has always been very passionate about gardens. It started from the influence of her mother. She spent all of her childhood in and around gardens. Once she became an adult she took that passion and turned it into a business. Her favorite part about having this job is creating beauty and increasing the quality of life for others. The hardest part about this job for her is at the very beginning of the design process when she is faced with a white piece of paper but after she gets started it becomes natural and effortless. Another hard part of her job is managing the personalities of the people that she works with such as clients, gardeners, nurseries, etc. She described her style as a mix of Mediterranean and California native with a classic sensibility. Her favorite type of architecture to build a garden around is 1920s character homes. It took her about ten years to start her business. She has learned to listen to people and take what they want into every decision. She has done so many projects from my house to working with Chris Pine. Out of all of her projects her favorite was designing the garden for Sierra Madre Elementary School. She loved this project so much because it affected so many people; teachers, students, parents, and the whole neighborhood. One of the main reasons Amy decided to be a landscape designer is because she wants to increase the quality of life for people. I asked Amy is she has ever wanted to quit and why. She said that she has never wanted to quit doing what she is doing but she has wanted to quit some certain jobs because of unrealistic expectations from clients. Amy recommends this career to anyone who is passionate about gardens and says that it is a very fulfilling vocation. I loved meeting with Amy because before this I never had heard of a landscape designer and I love learning about lots of different jobs so that I’ll never limit myself. If Amy had to describe soil in one word it would be life.

- Caroline P

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Letters from the Editors The soil unit was an experience that changed my view on soil. It was a fun way to learn about the soil and everything it does to the earth. The field trips that my 7th grade class and I went on were a great way to learn more about the earth and its soil. The Ron Finley garden was a one of the field trips we were able to go on. Ron Finley is a man who who grew a garden for his community on his sidewalk against his house. He lived in a town where there wasn’t much healthy food choices. So he had created the garden where he and his community can have an healthier choice. My class and I had attended 3 field trips throughout the soil unit. Where we got to be able to plant mulch, learn about Ron Finley story and his challenges he faced, and walking to Arlington Gardens.

I have learned so much throughout my experiences with the soil unit. I learned a lot about the challenges people face who live in a food desert. A food desert is an urban area that lacks affordable food and good quality fresh food. With learning about the causes of unhealthy food it has inspired me to start eating a lot more healthier. Its so nice that i got learn how to compost and garden and learn how I can do it at home.

I didn’t face many challenges throughout my experience with the soil unit.

But my biggest challenge was not getting to go on one of the field trips. My health forms had expired. A small challenge that my group and I faced was that we had a really difficult time with choosing what to do with the propaganda poster. I came across some surprises where 72% of restaurants are fast food places in south LA. Overall my experience with the Soil Unit was very fun! I have learned so much throughout the 8 days. I can’t wait to share what I have learned! This experience has been an amazing opportunity.

- Eloise W

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Letters from the Editors The soil unit was a fun way to learn about soil and everything it does. The field trips that we went on gave us a hands on way of learning that we couldn’t have accomplished in a classroom. The field trips also enabled us to talk to some soil experts. The stories and poems gave me a new perspective on soil and what it can accomplish. For instance, I did not now that soil had the ability to grow plants in the back of an old pick up truck.

During this unit, I learned many things from what a labyrinth is to how growing your own garden can impact your community. Not only was I able to learn what growing your own food and composting can do, I learned how it could do it at home.

I did not come across many challenges, but my biggest one was deciding on what to put on my propaganda poster. I also came across a few things that surprised me. For example, I was surprised by how much of America is in a food desert.

For me, the field trips were my favorite part because we got to visit actual gardens and talk to upstanders like Ron Finley. While on field trips, we also got to do science experiments and walk through a labyrinth. The field trips were a fun, hands on way of learning about the soil.

Over all, the soil unit was a fun experience that taught me a lot about the soil and what it does for our earth.

- Haley M

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Letters from the Editors For the past week and a half we have been participating in the soil unit and learning about plants, soil, food desserts, and compost. The first day we went to Arlington gardens in Pasadena and reflected on the soil, did an experiment with soil and bacteria, and went through a labyrinth. I learned all about meditation and what a labyrinth is. When we did our experiment I was difficult coming up with a hypothesis. It was fun roaming around Arlington and taking pictures of the flowers and plants. The second day we went on a field trip to Ron Finley’s house in south central L.A. He plants community gardens in front yards and parkways to promote growing your own food. He wants to stop obesity in food desserts. This day was so fun and inspiring. It was really awesome to be able to meet with Ron Finely so that he could share his passion with us. The next few days we worked on learning about food desserts and making propaganda. We learned all about how much food is unhealthy and how people don’t have access to heathy food. On one of the last days of the soil unit many people who were experts on soil came in and we had stations with each one of them. It was really interesting to walk around campus with Leah Adams because she told us about how in our own community at Westridge there were a lot of things that we could fix with our plants. We learned about compost and looked at healthy and unhealthy dirt under a microscope. We weeded and mulched. I really liked this day because we got to learn about and see so many people. I loved the soil unit because it was very hands on and we were a part of what we were learning about. We were able to be in the plants and have visual representations of what we learned about.

- Caroline P

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Shocker!! Leek and Cucumber seen together late at night! Are they dating??!?

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Who wore it better?

67%

Carrot Caroline Or

33%

Lettuce Lulu