Two first-grade classes at Poquonock Elementary were treated to special guest speakers on Wednesday, May 20. Isabelle Koistinen, 12, and Emily Weiner, 11, both Sage Park Middle School students, came to teach the younger boys and girls about helping their community. The girls' particular focus was on creating what they call "throw-and-grows" for the garden.
Throw-and-grows, also known as "seed bombs," are little packets made up of a small amount of soil and seeds all contained within a biodegradable container - in this case, modeling clay. They are able to be thrown in hard-to-reach places in your yard or in an area which the gardener feels needs more plant life.
Seed bombs have become well known amongst people who consider themselves "guerilla gardeners." These gardeners take growing plant life out from the backyard of their houses and attempt to introduce wild flowers back into suburban and urban landscapes. They also beautify under-loved plots of dirt and bare patches of soil.
The girls taught the young students as part of a project for their social studies class in middle school. The assignment was to do something to help their community.
"Emily and I wanted to do something creative," said Isabelle. "A few people had showed us these seed dispersal ideas," she said. "We decided to go with one of them called throw-and-grows."
"We didn't want to do a normal project," said Emily. "I was over her house one day brainstorming, and her mother told us about throw-and-grows."
The girls thought it would be fun to attend a classroom and teach the first-graders how they could make their own throw-and-grows as well.
Isabelle and Emily feel that spreading throw-and-grows helps the community by "planting more plants," said Isabelle.
Both girls have thrown them in their own yards for fun. "Now they are starting to sprout," Emily said.
For these two Sage Park students, the other aspect of this project that they felt was important was to show the first-graders how to garden. Isabelle hopes that by showing others how to garden by making throw-and-grows, she will encourage a love of gardening in them, "so they can make and plant more," she said.
"The kids seems to enjoy it a lot," said Emily. "I think it will make our yard look prettier and Windsor will look a lot prettier."