Landscaping Project and Student Involvement

After working in the agricultural education area, I transitioned to working in the green areas in front of the museum and school and along the path situated between the dormitories and workshop doing maintenance including: cutting grass, raking leaves, mulching and forming beds around trees and shrubs.  I learned to use an edger for the first time and also continued to practice with a hoe, but instead of using it to form vegetable rows, used it to create plant/mulch beds.

                                                    Raking leaves around path between
                                                           dormitories and workshop                                      

Work has also continued to include burning discarded materials such as trash and foliage.  John and the campus gardener, Luis, have showed me how to start and control a fire.  First material is placed together in a depression or in a pile above ground and then started with alcohol and the driest leaves and branches.  After the fire has gained enough energy, more material is piled on top.  Burning is a common practice in Chile, since there is not a large trash or leaf pick up service.  Teachers instruct students in the agricultural education area on burning discarded materials, and the workers on the farm

burn the fields after harvest.

                                               Pulling out branches to take to the burn pile

Luis managing the burn pile in El Vergel Park

Luis is the campus gardener and substitute 

worker for any job needing an extra hand.  

He is also a volunteer fire fighter 

so has experience with fire management. 

He is kind, hardworking and thoughtful.  I 

enjoyed working with him on projects in 

the green areas at El Vergel.

A corn field on the commercial

farm being burned after harvest

The landscaping projects I worked on at El Vergel were to plant a new garden in front of the museum and in front of the hostal.  The junior year science class helped out with the planting in front of the museum.  I explained to the students the objective of creating an entrance for the museum with the planting area, criteria to consider when choosing plants for a site, the design concept for the planting plan, and the installation process.

                                                         Front of the museum (before)

                                                Delineate planting area with wood shavings

Dig planting area and edge 

for tile border 

(John and Luis)

Add tile border

Place plastic under and around

plants to prevent weed growth

(Sebastian, a student)

Add plants and mulch

Front of museum (after)

The original planting area was two small beds at the end of the concrete pad leading to the stairs.  We extended the planting area up to the facade of the building in order to make the entrance more prominent and to include a wider range of plant species and sizes.

Directing the students on how to plant a garden

through hands on learning 

Students sifting dirt

Students planting

Students getting 

creative with leaves

Junior year science class after 

working in the new planting area  

In addition, I joined the junior year science class students on a trip to Los Angeles, a larger city about 45 minutes from Angol, to see an exhibition at Santo Tomas University on human anatomy.

                                                    Junior year science class at exhibition

                                                                      Class selfie
                                                                      ..….Smile!