Much to the delight of the students (and horror of gardeners everywhere), a litter of baby bunnies was discovered by the 7th grade class. At first glance, nothing seemed to be amiss in the garden. As the students were watering the basil, though, the dirt began to move. Sure enough, burrowed under the basil were five sleeping baby bunnies pig piled on top of each other. It was enough to grab all the students attention as word spread around the school that the new garden had baby bunnies!

Unfortunately, bunnies are detrimental to the health of any garden. (In fact, we had intentionally planted marigolds around the edge of the raised beds in order to prevent this very problem.) Unsure of how to proceed, we consulted with several veteran gardeners. Although the baby bunnies had not yet done any harm, it was clear that they had to be removed. It was suggested that we get a box to transport them to the Carleton Arb to prevent their return.

With heavy hearts at removing the babies from their parents, we set out on a Saturday to do the deed while the students were away. To our pleasant surprise, however, the bunnies were nowhere to be found!

As of July 12th, there have been no further bunny sightings.

Despite the massive amount of rain that June brought, the July heat quickly depleted the water in the giant rain bucket we had been using to water the plants. With two gallon buckets and the closest water source a small spigot 400 meters away, we were faced with a challenge. At stake: some very thirsty plants.

Thanks to the youthful energy of the 8th grade class and the hint of a competition on the line, the problem was quickly resolved. After the requisite moaning and complaining, the 8th graders rallied and divided into two teams, spacing out across the field and parking lot dividing the school and garden. The water was turned on, and the competition began. The first bucket spilled more than it actually successfully added to the rain barrel, but after a few rounds the 8th graders had a system down (which of course involved the occasional accidental “spilling” on a friend). A few especially competitive students turned the final leg of the assembly line into a race to prove who was the fastest runner in the class.  Fifteen minutes later, the rain bucket was successfully refilled. The students returned to class having gotten out some much needed energy, and the plants were happily quenched.

Get ready 7th graders! Next time its gonna be your turn to carry the weight!

by Serena Bernthal-Jones, ’17