Bundles of tulips will be available Saturday, April 11 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Juice Box in Ocean View for a donation of $10 to the SNAC Garden Foundation.
Coastal Point • Submitted
As gardens spring to life in Sussex County, an event this weekend connects one backyard garden to several school-based gardens, while offering everyone an opportunity to help bring the magic of growing things to local children.
The SNAC Garden Foundation Tulip Sale — to be held at the Ocean View Juice Box location from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 11 — features locally grown tulips and other spring flowers, available for a donation of $10 per bunch.
The SNAC Garden Foundation has programs at Long Neck Elementary, North Georgetown Elementary School, Howard T. Ennis School and Georgetown Middle School. Through the foundation, gardens have been established at each school.
“We hire a garden educator at each site who makes sure that the garden is cared for with the help of volunteers, and the garden curriculum is implemented by our trained educator during school hours with the support of teachers,” said SNAC Executive Director Shandra Furtado.
SNAC stands for School Nutrition Agri-Culture, Furtado noted.
“At each school partner program, we build a garden and implement 16 sessions a year to all classrooms via the garden educators,” she said.
A tulip garden takes shape at Long Neck Elementary School thanks to a SNAC Garden Foundation program.
Coastal Point • Submitted
At Howard T. Ennis, which serves students ages 3 to 21 who have significant disabilities, SNAC is adding accessible garden beds and a greenhouse. At Ennis, SNAC apprentices also “will get a vocational training and job placement assistance through the school’s PACT + STEP program,” Furtado said.
“Another project we are working on this year is a wetland restoration at the SNAC Garden at Georgetown Middle,” she added. “We are collaborating with the Center for the Inland Bays to restore this space with the students,” she said, and in the process, the students “will learn about wetlands, rainwater runoff and native plants as part of a hands-on curriculum.”
As a newcomer to the area three years ago, Ocean View resident Meghan Kingsley said, she “stumbled upon SNAC Garden Foundation through social media while exploring local organizations.
“Seeing young children have access to a garden resonated deeply with me — especially as someone who appreciates the joy gardening can bring, even as a beginner,” Kingsley said.
“The idea of the tulip sale initially sprang from a whim,” she said. “After planting a couple of hundred tulips with the intention of giving them away to the community, I quickly realized I needed a more organized approach. The logistics of pulling them up, processing, wrapping and distributing them all at once were daunting. I knew I needed an event to make it happen in a single day to prevent the flowers from wilting.
“I decided to help out through the tulip sale because it aligned perfectly with my desire to support SNAC’s inclusive initiatives,” Kingsley said. “As a wheelchair user, I value the accessibility of the gardens they create. The Tulip Drive became a way for me to contribute to a cause I believe in while also bringing joy to the community through the beauty of flowers.”
Kingsley’s passion for both gardening and for helping her new community align perfectly with SNAC Garden’s core mission.
“SNAC believes that every child deserves access to fresh food, nature and the knowledge of how to grow their own food,” Furtado said.
“Our school garden programs teach kids more than just where vegetables come from. Everything they do in the garden builds over the years they are in the program, allowing them to form a real understanding of the ecological connection between our food and health.
“With our new middle school locations, some students have access to regular garden programming for nine consecutive years during their school experience,” Furtado said. “Over the years, students build confidence, curiosity and a connection to the natural world that stays with them long after they leave the garden.
“For many of our students, the garden is a therapeutic, empowering space where they can develop real vocational skills, gain a sense of accomplishment, and form lasting friendships with peers,” Furtado said. “We’re always looking for volunteers, donors, and community partners who share the vision that all youth should have access to these types of experiences,” she added.
Anyone interested in learning more about the SNAC Garden Foundation’s mission, fundraising events and volunteer activities can sign up for their newsletter at snacgardens.org or follow them on Instagram (@snacgardens) and Facebook (@snacgarden).
The Juice Box is located at 3 Town Road, Ocean View. Payment at the Tulip Sale can be made with either cash or Venmo.
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