Self-Help staff Neill Goslin (left) and Melissa Malkin-Weber volunteer at Durham's Hub Farm, an outdoor classroom in Durham, NC.
During most days at school, kids sit at desks and learn with paper and computers. They might study biology or earth science, but probably aren’t catching tadpoles, collecting chicken eggs or observing an ecosystem up close—unless they’re lucky enough to visit the Hub Farm. The Hub Farm is a 30-acre educational farm, forest and aquatic habitat managed by Durham Public Schools.
The Hub Farm’s mission is to boost health and academic achievement for Durham students “through project-based learning in outdoor environments.” When they mention multiple environments, they aren’t kidding. The HUB Farm includes all kinds of gardens, beehives, wetlands, a beautiful pond and a large barn. The farm is located next to Eno Valley Elementary School and is close to a number of other local schools.
Students visiting the Hub Farm take a break. (Photo courtesy of the Hub Farm.)
Neill lends a hand to scientist Joseph L. Wilkins (left), who visited the farm to conduct research.
Last week two Self-Helpers volunteered at the Hub Farm as part of this year’s Triangle Corporate Earth Day’s activities* organized by EarthShare NC. Melissa Malkin-Weber and Neill Goslin spent an afternoon painting picnic tables and gardening with a local scientist who is studying environmental effects on plants.
“Self-Help supports sustainable practices every day through our lending and how we run our own business, “says Melissa Malkin-Weber. “That work involves a lot of spreadsheets; it’s not often we put our hands on a shovel or a seedling. Volunteering on Earth Day gave us a most welcome chance to dig in the dirt.”
Thanks for this opportunity, EarthShare NC! To see more related pictures and stories, follow @EarthShareNC on Twitter and look for the #CorporateChallengeNC hashtag. And please follow Self-Help's sustainability work at our @SelfHelpGreen Twitter feed.
Our latest impact: Self-Help has invested $175 million in solar projects! Find out more.
Above five photos courtesy of the Hub Farm.
* Check out all that was accomplished this year in the Corporate Challenge:
Total Worker Hours Volunteered – 300
Total Area Mulched – 500 Sq Ft.
Brush Cleared – 950 Sq Ft.
Plants/Seeds Planted – 1075
Bags of Trash Collected – 26
Bags of Recycling Collected – 22
45 cubic yards of recycling hauled
1.5 miles of stream cleaned
4500 sq ft of space weeded
17 buckets filled with weeds
160 sq ft of roof installed
1 Roof built
Wow, congratulations EarthShare NC!