“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”
The quote by British explorer Robert Swan was clipped to one of many flourishing vegetable and flower beds in the Ocean Knoll Children’s Farm at the third annual Ocean Knoll Zero Waste Festival on April 18. The school community was invited into the sprawling farm, the largest in the Encinitas Union School District besides the Farm Lab, to explore life before plastic and learn ways to be more green at home by reducing, recycling and reusing.
In the beautiful setting, guests enjoyed farm-fresh lemonade and pizza topped with produce from the garden, with zero waste plates and cups. Families could check out the clothing swap and book borrowing box or the several student projects about the impact of plastic in the ocean. Kids could play plastic-free games, build a fairy garden with found objects and win prizes by sifting microplastics out of sand from local beaches.
Students also offered tours of Ocean Knoll Canyon, an important section of Encinitas’ Cottonwood Creek and Moonlight Beach watershed where they sometimes enjoy class in the canyon. The Kehulili O Kailani Hula Dancers, the EnSINGnitas choir and local musician Lee Coulter provided entertainment on the main stage.
BCK Programs provided for the Zero Waste Festival, put on by the Ocean Knoll PTA. BCK Programs has been the district’s eco literacy partner for over 10 years, providing environmental education programs covering waste diversion, air pollution, water quality and resource conservation.
Utilizing PTA funding, farm educator Hari Jot Khalsa-Rhodes has been bringing Ocean Knoll students out onto the farm for hands-on learning experiences at every grade level for the last five years. Many people play a role in taking care of the valuable outdoor education resource: Students and community spend weekends working both in the farm and in the canyon, and local organizations such as Bethlehem Church, Sea Coast Church, Hope for San Diego and Teen Volunteers in Action have also lent a hand. Sprouts, the Rancho Santa Fe Garden Club and San Diego Ag in the Classroom have also provided funding for the farm as community grant partners.
On Tuesday, May 6, the district and BCK will host its annual Ecoliteracy Showcase at the Farm Lab where pollution prevention programs from all school sites will be on display. The event will be held from 5-6 p.m.
