Edward Guthmann writes a terrific series in the San Francisco Chronicle and sfgate.com called “What I Do.” He interviews people with interesting jobs, writes up a short introduction, and then lets the subjects speak for themselves.
Today’s story made my wife very happy. Rita teaches at the Tule Elk Park Children’s Center in San Francisco. Around 20 years ago the community worked together to create a nature center where there once was asphalt, giving city kids access to grass, trees, butterflies, gardens, and other wonders of the world around us. So Edward’s article on Jean Moshofsky Butler, who teaches gardening at Lakeshore Elementary School in San Francisco, made Rita’s day as we made breakfast this morning.
So it’s not just about gardening. It’s about science. To be honest, what it’s about for me is helping to save the planet. Being around kids you realize the extent to which they don’t have a connection to this planet. They don’t like getting their shoes dirty. When I started teaching there was this girl who literally ran out of the garden screaming because she found a worm.
That’s why I got passionate about this.
You can read the article and see some photos here.