Peralta.

Educating as an Edible Landscape Manager at Peralta Elementry was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had doing food security work. I feel blessed to have worked with 5th grade teacher Ana Thomas, a fierce educator who is unafraid to share the truth about global injustices with her learners. I also could not have done this without the advocay and actions of an amazing parent-led food security team/Peralta Parent Teacher Group. Shoutout to all the learners who spent their recesses farming with me, too! <3

Living Cartography.

The living plant map is 20 feet long by 4 feet wide . The selection of 30+ California native plants were planted according to their natural plant distribution throughout California. One large olla (a ceramic irrigation jar) was used to represent the San Francisco Bay; another smaller one was used to represent Lake Daowaga. The ollas helped mimic the respective watersheds in the landscape design. This was also an opportunity to respect and recognize Indigenous land names by utilizing Lake Daowaga instead of “Lake Tahoe”.

Art + Science.

The living plant map truly visually came to life with the installation of student signage. They chose to highlight National Parks with round wood cuttings on green bamboo stakes with paint to match. The installation of their art provides reference points for learning about the geography of California. The map was also planted with many plants that can be easily propagated. In doing this, we could literally grow teacher resources. While establishing this project, we did a succulent propagating fundraiser with Spiral Gardens Community Food Security Project (501c3).

1 Asclepias fascicularis Narrowleaf Milkweed

2 Asclepias speciosa Showy Milkweed

3 Baccharis pilularis Coyote Bush

4 Clinopodium douglasii Yerba Buena

5 Deschampsia cespitosa Deschampia Northern Lights

6 Dudleya farinosa Dudleya (Bluff Lettuce)

7 Dudleya palmeri Palmer’s Dudleya

8 Dudleya pulverulenta Chalk Dudleya

9 Epilobium canum California Fuchsia

10 Eschscholzia californica California Poppy

11 Eschscholzia californica var. Purple Gleam Purple Poppy

12 Eriophyllum confertiflorum Golden Yarrow

13 Festuca californica California Fescue

14 Frankenia salina Alkali Health

15 Iris douglasiana Douglas Iris

16 Lewisia cotyledon Cliff Maids

17 Linum lewisii Prairie Flax

18 Mimulus aurantiacus Sticky Monkeyflower

19 Mimulus aurantiacus var. puniceus Red Bush Monkeyflower

20 Mimulus cardinalis Scarlet Monkeyflower

21 Mimulus guttatus Seep Monkey Flower

22 Monardella villosa Coyote Mint

23 Plantago subnuda Naked Plantain

24 Potentilla gracilis Slender Cinquifoil

25 Prunella vulgaris Self-Heal

26 Salvia apiana White Sage

27 Salvia clevelandii Cleveland Sage

28 Sedum oreganum Oregon Stonecrop

29 Sedum spathulifolium Yellow Stonecrop

30 Sisyrinchium bellum Blue Eyed Grass

31 Sisyrinchium californicum Yellow Eyed Grass