WEEK FOUR: Days of Heat

by Caroline Schier, 2013 Summer Intern

Believe it or not it has now been a full month since Laura and I arrived at Songaia. I can say without a doubt that we have both enjoyed every moment we have spent here. Yet, there are certainly times when fatigue sets in and instead of working in the garden you wish you were just sitting in the with a nice glass of iced tea. This sweltering week that thought crossed my mind constantly. I’d be working in the hot sun just thinking of popsicles and swimming pools.  But, like every experience here at Songaia, there is a lesson to be learned out of this.

The newly fire-weeded path to the gazebo.

My friend Graham helps with the composting.

This inspires me to want to take an approach of action to help mitigate the negative impacts that our population has on the global environment. Although I may not have all the answers or know what to do at this point in my life, I know I can help make a change by simply waking up every morning eager to work in the garden.  And with the fun I have been having thus far, that is not a hard thing for me to do!

It is obvious to say that the garden waits for no one. If you wake up in the morning without the desire to garden the plants do not pause their growth for you. An operation like the one here needs constant attention especially on the days where the conditions don’t seem fit for gardening.  It is in those times where you must be busy watering and making sure that the crops will survive the harsh weather. Luckily, the great people here at Songaia also realize that there are limits to what you can get done on hot days.

  We were fortunate enough to get to spend some extra hours indoors yet still actively engaged in learning.  We conversed about soils and helped give a lesson in soil horizons based on our previous knowledge from a soil science course we took last semester. 

We were also stimulated to think about global climate change and our stance on the issue. It was great to address these topics and it felt so comfortable to talk about them with such an open minded group of individuals. What came out of this most for me was that the people here are very aware of global problems, but unlike so many others they are trying to take action and seek solutions rather than just dwelling on the problems that can so easily cause distress.