October's HEAL Healthy Hero: Martha Faucher, Garden Club Coordinator, Mt. Lebanon School

Children at the Mt. Lebanon School know where fruits and vegetables come from because they have spent time planting, digging, pulling weeds, composting, and harvesting produce in the school's garden. Martha Faucher, a Reading Support Specialist at the school, helped to create the garden three years ago, in part because she wanted kids to know where healthy food comes from. Every Wednesday and Thursday in fall and spring, Mt. Lebanon students can elect to spend their recess in the Garden Club that Faucher. "It's great to see kids get so excited about gardening." say Faucher.

Several years ago, Faucher and other educators at the school shared several concerns: children has limited exposure to fruits and vegetables, they needed additional, practical options for developing math skills, and they had very little idea where healthy foods come from. Together with other staff at the school, Faucher attended a training in Berlin, NH hosted by the NH Fish and Game Department's "Connecting Children with Nature" ini..., and a conference in Concord, NH, featuring Richard Louv, Chair of the Children in Nature Network and Author of Last Child in the Woods. Inspired by what research is saying about the benefits of children being out-of-doors, Faucher helped to develop the Garden Club at Mount Lebanon. "Fortunately, Mt. Leb had an existing Alternative Recess option, which made it easier for us to begin offering Garden Club within the context of our existing school day" says Faucher. As the garden and Garden Club has established itself, teachers at the school have begun to use the garden as a learning environment for writing activities, math projects, and science instruction.

Faucher has also supported the development of Mount Lebanon's Healthy Snack Store, in which classes take turns planning and preparing a healthy snack each Friday and selling it to classmates at the Healthy Snack Store. Additionally, Faucher supported Project Outdoors, in which a visiting artist from NH Fish and Game Department worked with students and staff to build a Children's Garden featuring NH native plantings. The Children's Garden is now a place for children to spend quiet time during recess, has been used as part of classroom instruction, and is used by students in the popular pasttime of fairy house construction.

Do you know of someone who is a Healthy Hero? TELL US! Each Month Upper Valley HEAL will celebrate a member of the Upper Valley community who through professional or community service makes it easier for children and families to eat smart, get out, and be active.