Hello Friend,
We wrap up Earth month at the same time we are starting our third rotation of our in-school garden education program where students are learning all about garden and nutrition science. All 4,500 National School District elementary students will be among the first to try our Olivewood-grown blueberries as part of their lesson. These blueberries represent so much for us, as they were planted early in the pandemic with high hopes they would reach the schools once students returned. After two long years, the blueberries are being harvested as students are settling back into their school routines. These blueberries were grown with love, and as Jackie, our Volunteer Coordinator says, "no one is allergic to love."
We also opened our doors to the public for the first time since the pandemic began, and welcomed over 100 visitors to our property for our monthly tour. We learned how focused on health, growing food, and gaining garden and nutritional knowledge our guests are in this evolving world. Up next: Join us May 7th for our Plant Sale, where high school Sustainable Urban Agriculture Entrepreneurship Academy students have cultivated and grown hundreds of plants over the past 20 weeks during this intensive internship program. Check out the info below for more programs and events. We look forward to seeing you in the garden soon!
Jen Nation, Executive Director of Olivewood Gardens & Learning Center
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Saturday, June 4th
5PM - 9PM
Join us for this year's in-person celebration! Forage the gardens for Olivewood-inspired cocktails and drinks, while feasting on a delectable spread of tasty eats created by Olivewood Kitchenistas®, High School Garden 2 Kitchen students, and local chefs. Roam the garden for hands-on and mission-oriented activities, while we hold a silent auction with fun experiences, gifts, and wares to bid on. Don't forget to stay for the seated dessert & live auction, live music, and dancing!
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Olivewood is teaming up with musician and environmentalist Jack Johnson on his 2022 Summer Tour as an All At Once Non-Profit Partner! Johnson’s foundation is matching donations contributed to us at his concert or directly to our organization from April 1 - October 15 2022, up to a total of $2500. Make a donation and it will be doubled by the Johnson Ohana Foundation!
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Saturday, May 7
9 AM - 2PM
Join us for the Olivewood Plant Sale to choose from a variety of succulents, hanging flower baskets, and veggie & herb seedlings of all sizes!
*No registration required
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Sunday, May 8
11AM - 1 PM
Join us this Mother’s Day to celebrate and honor all of the amazing ‘mother figures’ who have nurtured us in our life!
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Saturday, May 14
10AM - 11:30AM
We welcome your young ones to join us in person at Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center for our May Chefcitos class, Mix it Up with Mediterranean!
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Open Garden & Public Tour |
Saturday, May 21
10AM - 12:30PM
Join us for an Olivewood ‘Open Garden’! We’ll have public tours starting at 10:15AM and 11:15AM, and guests are free to enjoy the gardens and invited to learn more about our programs. No pre-registration required.
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Saturday, May 21
3:30PM - 5:30PM
National Picnic Day is coming up, so Olivewood is getting ready for our monthly cooking class - It's a Picnic Party! Come to the gardens to get some new ideas for picnic packing while using seasonal, local ingredients.
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Saturday, June 18
3:30PM - 5:30PM
Summer means outdoor BBQs, grilling, enjoying the longer days and trying new things. Come join us at the garden for our Summer Grilling Class held in our outdoor kitchen to grill up some seasonal summer favorites, soak in the sunny day, and learn a thing or two!
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Lunch & Learn with Jen Nation |
Friday, June 24
12PM - 1:30PM
Join our Executive Director, Jen Nation for an in-person walking tour of Olivewood Gardens and a sit-down Q & A for an opportunity to learn more about the ins and outs of our programs!
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Our Children's Field Trip Program is in full swing with National School District 4th graders form all 10 schools completing their 3rd lesson at Olivewood!
Students identified, chopped, and prepared fruits & veggies to make delicious Happy Quesadillas and learned about pollination and plant life cycles led by our Youth Nutrition Education Specialist Morgan, Environmental Education Specialist Sarah, and our amazing interns and volunteers!
We are inspired by these adventurous students who are excited to get their hands in the dirt and learn in the kitchen. One student shared: "When we got to taste a guava flower, it tasted like a jellybean!", while another exclaimed, "I tasted a delicious, scrumcious, bussin bussin quesadilla and I enjoyed it very well!".
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A Message from Olivewood's Director of Programs
Farewell to the Olivewood Gardens Community,
I have been honored to spend the past year as the Director of Programs at Olivewood Gardens and Learning Center and am writing to share that I will be transitioning from the organization. At Olivewood, I was welcomed into a genuine, resilient, and warm community striving to build more equitable and prosperous world. Your support, partnership, and collaboration has been invaluable as Olivewood supports youth and adults with impactful experiences in organic gardening, environmental stewardship, nutrition education, and community advocacy. Thank you for inspiring me with your heartfelt passion and dedication.
Sincerely,
Hope Zabronsky
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Olivewood Gardens Opportunities |
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We are looking for passionate volunteers that want to extend their knowledge and skills in community education, group management, nutrition, environmental science, gardening, marketing and communications, and more!
For more information, please contact Olivewood's Coordinator of Volunteers & Outreach Jackie Ante at: jacqueline@olivewoodgardens.org. Check out the volunteer and internship opportunities below and sign up to join us!
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Salad Ingredients
● ½ head green cabbage
● 2 persian cucumbers
● 2 green onions
● ½ - 1 jalapeno
● 2-4 leaves Swiss Chard (leaf & stem)
Dressing Ingredients:
● ¼ shallot
● ½ cup cashews
● ¼ cup sunflower seeds
● 1-2 cloves garlic
● 1-2 cups spinach
● ¼ bunch chives
● ¼ bunch parsley
● ¼ bunch basil
● 2 green onions
● 1 TBSP dijon mustard
● ¼ cup nutritional yeast
● 2-4 TBSP vinegar (apple cider, white wine, rice wine, etc)
● 1 lemon, juiced
● 1 avocado
● ¼ cup (or more) olive oil
● Salt & Pepper to taste
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Salad Instructions:
1. Cut the cabbage across one way and make a second cut the opposite way.
2. Dice the cucumbers
3. Slice the green onion, using the white and green part.
4. Mince the jalapeno.
5. Remove the leaf from the stem of the swiss chard. Small dice the stem. Stack the swiss chard leaves and chop lengthwise.
6. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.
7. Toss with green goddess salad. Enjoy with Tortilla chips.
Dressing Instructions:
1. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender.
2. Enjoy on your favorite salad!
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Host an Event at Olivewood!
Olivewood Gardens is a hidden gem in National City. The beauty of being in nature surrounded by bountiful gardens provides a great space for gathering and learning. Our spaces are available to rent and our vision is to connect more people with nature’s beauty and our community’s story. Perfect for meetings, small group gatherings and team building events.
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Civic Engagement Opportunities |
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SANDAG Update: Youth Opportunity Pass!
Free Transit for Youth (18 and under) is coming to the San Diego Region starting May 1. Anyone aged 18 and under can ride transit for free in San Diego County with a PRONTO account. SANDAG has teamed up with MTS, NCTD, and the County of San Diego to connect youth to school, jobs, entertainment, and more with the SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program. This includes unlimited rides on the bus, Trolley, COASTER, and SPRINTER at no cost through June 30, 2023. SANDAG is funding this initiative, which is guided by the 2021 Regional Plan. To learn how to ride free with the SANDAG Youth Opportunity Pass pilot program, visit YouthOpportunityPass.sandag.org
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The SDG&E Community Tree Rebate Program helps qualifying residential customers plant trees and other plant species that provide direct environmental, health and economic benefits throughout the region. This program is designed for customers in SDG&E’s service territory, especially where trees may be needed to help make a positive impact in their community.
Qualifying SDG&E customers receive a $35 rebate for planting or potting a 1- or 5-gallon tree/plant species (up to five rebates annually). You do not need a yard to qualify, as trees or other plant species can also be planted in large containers on outdoor balconies or patio areas. Your participation in this program helps our communities by supporting local biodiversity, improving air quality and sequestering carbon. Find out if your zip code qualifies you for the program Here!
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