Issue link: https://trevordayschool.uberflip.com/i/1529130
During a beautiful April day exploring community gardens and green spaces in the East Village, then seniors Justin Lioudis '24 and James Karmacharya '24 had a realization; they enjoyed being outside more than sitting on their couches. And thanks to Trevor's Bridge program, the culminating senior project that affords Trevor 12th graders the opportunity to explore an area of interest in an in-depth manner, interested students were able to do just that. With the guidance of Mr. Zheutlin, Upper School History and Environmental Studies Teacher, Trevor students created their own community garden. The Bridge seminar on gardening was already underway before the idea of the real garden sprouted. Students spent their first class walking around Trevor's East 95th Street building and neighborhood, looking at the plant life and tree plots. They were challenged to think of ways that the existing green spaces could be improved upon. When the idea to create their own green space emerged, Justin offered some unused land behind his grandparents' house in Brooklyn. James celebrated the great synergies that emerged. "Environmental studies has always been an interest of mine, and there's no better way to break into that field by learning more about the root of it all: plants. I always loved gardening growing up, and this seminar allowed me to not only learn the science behind it, but also get the chance to plant in our own garden. During the first visit to what was to become the garden, Mr. Zheutlin brought dirt and wood which they used to create their first garden plots. After the first few sessions, students realized more funds were needed, so they created a budget proposal and received approval from Dr. Graves, Trevor's Director of Upper School. With support from Trevor, more plots were created Brooklyn Community Garden 26 / TREVOR MAGAZINE FALL 2024–25 WHAT YOU MAY HAVE M I S S E D