Last week, our Nature Center Preschool students worked with Koralee, our Giving Garden Manager, to plant beans. These weren’t just any beans, though; they were the same ones the students helped shuck earlier this year. After the beans were harvested from the Giving Garden last season, students have now returned the seeds to the earth, initiating a new growth cycle.
This full-circle moment is a perfect example of the hands-on learning now possible at our new preschool location at Coogan Farm, where the Nature Center Preschool relocated in September 2024. The new location allows for daily access to the Giving Garden while also providing exposure to diverse natural habitats including meadows, woodlands, and streams.
Students visit the Giving Garden each week to take part throughout the garden’s annual cycle, which includes weeding, planting, and harvesting. The garden serves as a hands-on learning space where students see classroom lessons come to life. These outdoor experiences teach fundamental concepts in science and sustainability while promoting stewardship. By following the life cycle of the beans they shucked, the children gain hands-on knowledge about life cycles and soil health, demonstrating their connection to the natural system.
The Giving Garden represents a key component of our work at Coogan Farm. The Giving Garden utilizes regenerative practices to generate thousands of pounds of fresh produce annually, which the Gemma E. Moran Mobile Food Pantry distributes to families across Southeastern CT.
We’re so grateful to be growing minds (and beans!) at our new preschool location at Coogan Farm.
Curious about our nature-based approach to early childhood education? Learn more about enrollment and our curriculum here.