The Effect of a School Landscape Project on Environmental Attitudes

Contemporary children's gardening began in 1993 when the American Horticultural Society held its first symposium based on youth gardening entitled "Children, Plants, and Gardens: Educational Opportunities” (Sealy, 2001).  Since that symposium thousands of school gardens have appeared across the country (Robinson-O'Brien and Story, 2009).   In a 2005 study, Dirks and Orvis found that third grade participants in the Junior Master Gardener program significantly increased in environmental knowledge and attitudes.  Those schools with a garden demonstrated more positive gains than those without.  These findings are consistent with the assertion that as environmental knowledge increases, environmental attitudes improve and environmentally friendly behavior tends to follow (Acrury, 1990; Cammack et al., 2002; Newhouse, 1991). In January of 2009, a garden project began at Fayetteville School (FHS), a K–12 school in Fayetteville, AL.  So far, an expansive children’s garden and over 400 trees and shrubs have been installed.  Each of Fayetteville’s 650 students has had the opportunity to be a part of planting, while many have been much more involved. This study will examine the effects of the landscape project at FHS (experimental group) on middle and high school students’ environmental attitudes.  Drew Middle School (DMS) and Lincoln High School (LHS) will act as the control group.