Skateboarders Destroyed Detroit High Schoolers’ Urban Garden In Minutes
Skateboarders destroyed in a matter of minutes an urban garden project that had been created by students from Detroit Collegiate Preparatory High School at Northwestern. The nutrition class at Northwestern High School had already harvested collard greens, kale, and broccoli at the end of the school year, but had more to harvest. The urban garden project was created to benefit the community, but just moments of vandalism completely ruined the students’ next harvest.
Nicole Bryant led the nutrition class that worked hard to create a fruitful urban garden. She said the students’ garden was thriving before the skateboarders ruined their hard work.
“It was high with plants. I mean it was very high and now to see it, I’m like – what happened?”
The vandals on skateboards broke stakes in half and uprooted crops for no apparent reason. They even spray painted racist graffiti on the dumpster near the urban garden.
“We’re trying to improve the community in Detroit and this is what happens,” Bryant told Fox News. She said the vandals came through and destroyed the crops at around 2:30 in the morning.
The worst “@detroitnewsnow: Detroit high school’s urban garden destroyed by vandals http://t.co/pNc5KIKfRr #detroit pic.twitter.com/bz1pfb4lda”
— BEWARE of TSS (@BEWARE4) June 16, 2015
“These gardens are more than just a source of food and nutrition, they’re a source of pride,” Bryant explained. “These folks hurt more than just the plants. The kids love it. They water, we weed. It’s just gone.” She said that the students were very disappointed, but the vandalism won’t stop the urban gardening.
“We’re going to continue on. It’s not going to stop us. I hope somebody understands that this is for the community and the students.”
DC Prep at Northwestern High School has been featured in the past by the Detroit News for promoting sustainability and environmental protection. The school also features a conservatory. DC Prep has even taught various water techniques and types of sunlight and placement for improved growth. In 2012, the school joined the district’s Go Green Challenge.
Detroit Public Schools Kick Off Initiative to Create 45 School Gardens | @scoopit http://t.co/Vk7B2vd2
— Ron Wolford (@urbangarden) April 24, 2012
This spring, the district announced that the Go Green Challenge saved more than $400,000 last school year, the Detroit News reported. The district’s Sustainability Management Plan has six focus areas: Energy and Water, Waste and Recycling, Transportation, Outdoor Environment, Indoor Environment, and Nutrition.
Despite the setback from the vandals on skateboards, many feel that the Detroit high schoolers’ urban garden should be considered a success simply because of the valuable lessons the students have learned about sustainability and community farming.
[Photo via Fox News video]
