Big health boost for school green thumbs

Noosa Journal... Friday March 9, 2012   Fit & Healthy
Big health boost for school green thumbs    Isobel Coleman  colemani@qst.newsltd.com.au

SUNSHINE Coast schools are promoting a fit and healthy lifestyle for students through a range of highly acclaimed programs.

The Journal received a great response to the launch of its Fit and Healthy campaign, which promotes the importance of a healthy diet and active lifestyle.
This week’s focus is schools.
It may be small in numbers but North Arm State School is huge on health – and students took their message to the community with a Healthy H’art Weekend.

The event promoted the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through physical activity and nutritious food, with students participating in cooking and gardening workshops.
North Arm is one of a growing number of schools to embrace the edible garden concept, pioneering be Coast resident Leonie Shanahan.

Leonie has introduced her Edible School Gardens program into more than two dozen schools, mainly for primary aged students, helping children understand the importance of eating real nutritional food straight from the home garden.

“From my experience over the past decade, and speaking with schools I’ve worked with, I believe the ideal situation is to run the Edible School Gardens program for a 12 month period,” Leonie said.

“In 12 months you  can work all seasons, record  all the information about planting, caring for plants, harvesting, seed saving, propagating, composting, worm farms and green manure crops, keep a journal and create reference folders so the
information is all there for the teachers, parents, grandparents and students to empower them.”

Leonie, a founding committee member of Veggie Village community Gardens at Peregian Beach has included healthy ideas in her book, Eat Your Garden.