Dove Springs Community Garden @CMMS
Workdays are the first Saturday of the month
Community Garden Workday and Clean-Up Sat. August 11, 2018 - 8:30 to Noon

3/3/2018 Workday- Akins Student Volunteers Visit the Farm Stand

Akins Eagles (former Mavericks) Construct a Simple Ladder for the Bean Plants
Thanks to Mr. Wall's PLTW Students
Can't wait to see the picnic tables for the outdoor learning area sponsored by GM and the National Wildlife Federation.
SFC Farm Stand Located at the Dove Springs Park | Garden Stepping Stones We placed 8 stepping stones made by student volunteers in the Monarch Garden | Akins Volunteers Making Stepping Stones The stepping stone project began in the fall of 2017. |
3/2/2018 Lettuce Farm On Hold
Pending AISD Special Projects Approval

Lettuce Farm is Coming to the Dove Springs Comm Garden!

Akins Eagles Are Friends of the Dove Springs Community Garden @CMMS
The Before Shot - November 4 Work Day Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! | Making Mosaic Stepping Stones Art, design, chemical reactions- STEM in the garden is fun! | Free City of Austin Mulch! Thank you, Mr. Padilla for thinking of this to fill in the bermed area- the dirt is expensive and the mulch is FREE! |
Monarch Heroes Garden News
Community Garden Leader, Alfredo Padilla, and his family were on hand - they have given countless hours to the projects in the Maverick Green STEM Academy - from assisting with the building of the chicken coop and shed to taking a crew to get the free city mulch to fill into the bermed area on Saturday. We are fortunate to be close to the City's free mulch on Business Center Dr.
Akins students split up into teams and one group cleaned the entire campus exterior grounds area - it is amazing how much trash is littered on our campus. We thank all the groups for their service, including students from our campus and Widen Elementary. That's collaboration!

The Monarch Garden Plan
ECO SCHOOLS USA The Green STEM students add information to the school site. | Laying Out the Monarch Garden Solarizing with cardboard and a layer of mulch | Students Consult the Plant Guides The Monarch garden will have milkweed and other pollinators. |
The After Shot Tired, hungry and still smiling - thanks everybody! | Designing the Mosaic Stones Using tile, glass and pottery shards to make beautiful stepping stones at the garden | Ambitious Monarch Garden The pond will be used for swamp milkweed, which requires continually moist soil. We still need more organic matter- bring your leaf bags and leave them by the shed! |
Designing the Mosaic Stones
Check out our feature on Good Day, Austin - Thanks, Fox 7 and SFC!
STEM ADVANCED Academy Student to Head Monarch Way Station Project

Before the installation, we measured the area for mapping the new garden
Here's the Problem: Milkweed, the only plant that supports the entire life cycle of the Monarch butterfly, has been damaged by chemicals that kill the butterfly. The population of Monarchs is in decline.
Questions We Are Trying to Answer:
1. What is the best way to plant a pollinator garden that will attract Monarch butterflies?
2. What native flowering plants do we need to plant in the garden?
3. How can we propagate native milkweed to increase the supply of plants that have not been sprayed with the chemical?
4. Why is it important to be concerned about the Monarch decline in population? Why does it matter? What other factors might be contributing to the decline?
5. How do we want the garden to look so that Monarchs and other pollinators are attracted?
Field Experiences:
Students in the Green Ag Careers course will travel to the LadyBird Johnson Wildflower Center to explore how native plants help the ecosystem in our sensitive areas, such as the Edward's Aquifer and the Dove Springs Williamson Creek Watershed. Students will also explore a cave and experience and outdoor natural play area we hope to inspire us as we design a similar area at the Dove Springs Community Garden in the future.
Project Deliverables:
- Students will submit designs for the garden to scale and use Google Sketch-Up to present their designs.
- Students will submit a materials list for a portion of the garden (dirt, rock, plants, etc.)
- Students will research native plants, cite sources, and make recommendations for native plants and prepare a budget. We have $2,000.00 to spend on our garden through a grant from AISD Science and the National Wildlife Federation.
- Students will enter data into the EcoSchools USA site to document the project. MGSA is going for Bronze level and eventually, Green Flag status.
- Students will name the garden and create signage in English and Spanish for the site that teaches the community about the garden, the Monarch and the importance of creating native schoolyard habitats that support pollinators.
- The garden will achieve a NWF Schoolyard Habitat designation- students document the project on the ECO Schools USA website.
Visit our site often for important updates on our progress!

The DSCG Garden Crew on Saturday, September 9th
Beautiful Weather and Smiling Faces Helped Refresh the Wicking Bed for Planting

September 9th is the First Community Garden Workday for 2017-2018 9:00 -11:00

Help Us Design the New Monarch Way Station on September 9th
Dr. Lepine, MGSA Director | MGSA Students are Monarch Heroes! Our September 9th workday will be focused on our new project to build a Monarch Way Station in the Dove Springs Community Garden | MGSA Students Begin Giving Power Packs Deserving families are getting reusable grocery bags with our chicken eggs, and fresh veggies from the garden on Friday's this year. |
Dr. Lepine, MGSA Director
MGSA Students are Monarch Heroes!

Chickens Return to Kibbie's Koop on September 4th
Coming Soon to DSCG

Maverick Green STEM Academy won a Bright Green Future Grant from the City of Austin


The Austin Ed Fund is a Supporter of the Dove Springs Community Garden
The Work Crew Completed the Entryway Columns May 5, 2017
Ruben Shows How Big the Pumpkins Will Grow Students worked to plant the pumpkin patch on May 6. | Watering the Trees is a Community Effort Ms. Rebecca's grandchildren and Ruben water the trees. | Abuelita Rebecca in Front of the New Keyhole Garden Ms. Rebecca is a master gardener and supporter of the Dove Springs Community Garden. |
The Padilla and Rodriguez Dad's Build the Shed Floor May 6, 2017

Last workday for the 2016-2017 school year- Saturday May 6th 9:00 - 11:00

Please help us build our shed!
and Come See the New Student-Designed Entryway

Come See The New Garden Entryway Designed By a Mendez Student
What's Going on at the Dove Springs Community Garden?


Kibbie's Koop Proclamation by Chief of Staff, Lesley Varghese, on behalf of the Honorable Mayor Steve Adler
Earth Day April 22, 2017
Yanoff Family Donates Keyhole Composting Garden Idey Rodriguez begins her enactment of a potato plant growing from the soil while DSCG Leader, Alfredo Padillo tightens the zip ties on the new addition to the Dove Springs Community Garden. | Scene Two: The potato plant is growing! In the background L to R:Erica Mulato, parent, Brenda Kibbie, Akins HS Volunteer, Idey's Mom, Evelia Rodriguez, and Andrea Kibbie, Mendez Staff and PTSA Member. | The Potato is Grown! Idey won the Most Service Hours Award for the 2016-2017 School Year at the Earth Day Kibbie's Koop Dedication. Idey's Theatrical performance put the A in STEM! (STEAM) |
Yanoff Family Donates Keyhole Composting Garden
Scene Two: The potato plant is growing!

Kibbie's Koop Build
Next Work Day is Saturday April 1st!

L to R - Matt Kjeldsen, community volunteer, and parents, Alfredo Padilla, parent and DSCG Leader & Reynaldo Rodriguez, parent volunteer, put the dedication board on the coop.

Andrea Kibbie and Robert Kibbie, 7th grader, watch as center part of the coop is set.
Preparing the Foundation Students in the STEM Exploratory course taught by Miss Stryker worked on a PBL to determine the amount of pavers needed to set the rodent and predator footer that runs the entire perimeter of the coop. Parents and volunteers are setting the footer. Math is embedded into the curriculum and has real world application, so students see the practical application of their calculations. | MGSA Parents and Stryker filling in the footer L to R - Carla from St. Ed's works on the 9 foot side, while Stryker, Padilla and Rodriguez fill in the trench and Kjeldsen in the background assembles the coop. | About Halfway Finished in 4 hours! Mr. Rodriguez and Mr. Kjeldsen work to level the structure so it can sit for the week until the next workday on April 1st. |
Preparing the Foundation
MGSA Parents and Stryker filling in the footer

Volunteers from St. Ed's help MGSA students, Idy Rodriguez and Jacqueline Padilla, weed gardens on March 25, 2017

MGSA Students Prepare the Footer for the Chicken Coop Build in Miss Styker's Class

TreeFolks Donates Trees for the Food Forest - Fruit Tree Orchard

30 trees for 30 years
In Just Three Workdays MGSA Students, Parents, Community,Faith-Based Organizatons, Business and Industry

November 5, 2016 - The Orchard Begins - Seven Families Planted Seven Trees
Mr. Pope's architecture firm has connected the group with a structural engineer, Moises Macia, who will be working with Mr. Wall's DM/AR students to turn Mayde's winning design from a 2-D conceptual drawing to a 3-D drawing and a construction company is donating all the materials

BJ Forguson with Love Where You Live South Austin

At the First Workday Students Constructed Two Wicking Beds
The Concrete Columns As Designed The design will be built out by Raymond Construction who is donating all the time,materials and labor. We hope to be able to pour on December 10th- if weather permits. | The Fence and Arched Signage Designed by Yakira Rector, will feature etched metalwork- for a future workday. | Students Learn Authentic Skills Collaboration, Teamwork, and Engineering Design are all incorporated into the Project Lead the Way curriculum. |
The Concrete Columns As Designed
The Fence and Arched Signage
Moises Macias, Structural Engineer One component of Problem-Based Learning is connecting students with real-world professionals who look like they do. Mr. Macias is graciously donating his time to teach Mr. Wall's students how to move from a 2-D conceptual drawing and use the industry standard auto-cad software that is part of the PLTW curriculum to convert the design to 3-D. He will work with students to teach them the structural engineering needed to build the columns. | Ron Pope, Architect It's nice to have teachers married to industry professionals who are committed to service learning and our AISD students (yes, that's Ramona Pope's husband). Thank you Mr. Pope for connecting us to so many resources that will help our students realize their dreams! | TAS Concrete Austin TAS Concrete will be generously donating all materials, labor, time and expertise on the day of the build for the concrete pillars. Thank you for supporting Maverick Green STEM Academy students! |
Moises Macias, Structural Engineer
Ron Pope, Architect

A Huglekulture Pollinator Garden and Monarch Waystation Was Constructed and Planted on October 15th
Zuleyka and Idy water the Milkweed Monarch butterflies depend on milkweed for survival. | The Trench is Filled With Organic Matter The matter will decompose and turn into rich soil that feeds the garden. | The Finished Garden The work crew is happy with the huglekulture pollinator garden. |

Saturday November 5- The Fruit Orchard Begins -MGSA Moms Plant an Orange Tree

Mrs. Pope and the Mulato-Barron Family Plant a Mango Tree
A Little Compost, A Little Mulch Makes for a happy avacado tree! Miss Stryker stood in a long line last Saturday to get a free fig tree from Treefolks. Sorry about Tech's loss to UT later that same day (NOT). | The Esquivel Family & Mrs. Rodriguez Everyone likes to water the trees. There are lot's of enthusiastic helpers at the garden on Saturdays. | The Mulato -Guerrero Family Planted a mango tree after playing soccer! |
A Little Compost, A Little Mulch
The Esquivel Family & Mrs. Rodriguez
Mark Your Calendars
- December 10th- we hope to pour the concrete pillars (9:00-12:00)
- January 7th - Building compost bins, laying out where the shed will be constructed (9:00-11:00)
- February 4th-Garden Shed construction- tentative (9:00-12:00)
- March 4th - Possible Campus Clean-Up Following the CMMS Heritage Festival (9:00-11:00)
- April 1 - Campus Work Day with St. Edward's Volunteers- The Big Event (9:00-12:00)
- April 22 - Earth Day in the Garden - A celebration of our efforts (9:00-11:00)
- May 6 - Shed Construction - Bring Your Skills (9:00-12:00)
- June 3rd- Google workday cancelled - they were unable to commit to our garden at this time.
