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Endeavor Elementary
Butterfly, ABC, Tea Gardens and Edible Forest
Each year, Kindergartners at Endeavor Elementary in Cocoa have been planting native
and ornamental plants for butterflies, plants that start with each letter of the alphabet, and plants that can be used
to make tea for community tea parties. Spearheaded by Ms. Barbara Wilcox, the gardens have been rapidly filling
up with flowering plants of all shapes and colors. In addition to learning about butterflies and beneficial insects,
how to plant and care for plants, and plant names, the students also get to spend extra time with their grandparents during
the regular "grandparents in the garden" days. Naturewise has provided many of the native plants for this beautiful
garden, along with helping kids plant correctly, and teaching about some of our unique flora. New this year, Endeavor will be growing their own edible
forest filled with all sorts of fruiting plants like mulberries, blueberries, muscadine grape vines, bananas, peaches, passion
vine, and much much more! Students will get to watch their plants grow and harvest the fruit!
Thanks to the dedication
of Mrs. Wilcox, the eagerness of her students, and the support of the faculty, their gardens have won first place in
the Multi-Class School Garden category in the Florida School Garden Competition for the Fourth straight year!
Not only that, but Endeavor Kindergartners
have some of the highest test scores in the district! Gardening = Learning!
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| Endeavor Elementary's Butterfly Garden |
| The butterflies are provided with a water feature |
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| Sea Rocket FNPS Volunteers Planting the Garden |
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| Brevard County Volunteer Appreciation and Learning Garden |
Volunteer Appreciation and Learning Garden
The Brevard County Volunteer Management Team started off wanting to create a garden in dedication
to the thousands of volunteers who give their time volunteering on County projects. This idea turned into
a nearly one acre garden that features only native landscape plants. The garden not only offers volunteers and
the public a nice place to relax, but it serves to teach the community about the wonderful native plants that can be used
in our landscape. While the garden is still new, there is much that can be learned there. Kiosks will offer maps and plant
information, and the trees, shrubs, and garden sections will be labeled so the public can learn plant names.
A website has also been set up with information on the garden, including information on trees and shrubs
that are especially hardy in hurricanes, droughts, and other Florida conditions. The website is can be found by
clicking here. The garden is located in the Viera Regional Park, at the intersection
of Lake Andrew Dr. and Judge Fran Jamieson Parkway.
Naturewise owner Kari
Ruder, helped the Sea Rocket Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, obtain a grant from Keep Brevard Beautiful to purchase
the understory plants for the Waterwise section of the garden. That section has been successfully completed and now Sea Rocket
volunteers regularly visit the garden to weed and prune plants. We hope you'll join us!
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