Welcome Earth Partnership for School Visitors to our Giving Garden

On Wednesday, July 13th, Lyn Colleen Streck, our science teacher and garden founder, will join middle school science teacher, Barb Kanoy (who is a new NCBG group Facilitator) in touring our Lower School garden.

This is part of a wonderful project that includes Barb, Lyn and Katherine Sherrill (all from DA), and others who are part of the Earth Partnership for Schools. Last year they were part of the week-long institute and this year they are part of the group of schools being visited.  Here is a summary of the 35-hour course being taught this week:

"The North Carolina Botanical Garden and City of Durham Stormwater Services invite teams of teachers to join the Earth Partnership for Schools.  This week-long institute will train teams of teachers to create rain gardens, native plant gardens, or restored natural habitats on school grounds. During the institute, teachers will learn about North Carolina's local flora, native plant gardening, and using the outdoors as a place for learning. Participants will also have the opportunity to visit some unique natural areas in the Triangle as well as some area schools that have schoolyard native plant gardens."

I know that all the Garden Committee will be looking forward to hearing what the group has to say--what they enjoy about our garden, suggestions they might make, etc.  All gardeners love to talk gardening--it's a passion we share--and getting new ideas, hearing impressions from new visitors is all part of what makes it all worthwhile.

We wish you a great visit, new friends from the Earth Partnership for Schools. A big thank you to Lyn, Katherine and Barb for bringing us new visitors. 

Stories in the Garden, Part 2

"Oh heart, if one should say to you that the soul perishes like the body, answer that the flower withers, but the seed remains."

Kahlil Gibran

Memorial Fig Tree Planting, March 4, 2011

Farnaz and Kambiz Soheili 

and their daughter, 

Kaynaz Soheili (DA, ’19) 

Mrs. Streck and Mrs. Soheili prepare the site.

Kaynaz and her cousin with the newly
planted fig tree.

Many hands help with planting.

Simple stones remember those who were lost.

The Soheili family and the fig tree.

Learning about one’s heritage is important. Durham Academy parents, Farnaz and K.C. Soheili who were born in Iran, wanted to give their daughter, Kaynaz (DA ’19), a chance to know who her family is and to learn the stories of young family members were who were lost to political strife in the 1980’s in Iran. They arranged with science teacher, Lynn Colleen Streck, to plant a memorial fig tree in the Lower School garden where other children would also have the chance to read and learn about four of their beloved relatives who died far too soon.

The tree will be a living remembrance of these brave people who died to uphold their convictions and beliefs. 

In the words of Mrs. Soheli, “We lost our dear cousins, Afsaneh, Hossein, Namvar and Nilofar, but they will always be alive in our hearts.” 

Stories are shared, planting is done,
and new memories are made