Ithaca Children's Garden

Youth Horticulture Apprentice Program: Season by Season

The Youth Horticulture Apprentice Program is the Ithaca Children's Garden's longest running program and has grown alongside the organization over the past several years.

2010: Meghan Cerveny led the program for the fourth year, joined by ICG's Garden Assistant, Taryn Hubbard. With 10 apprentices for the season, the group focused on edible garden maintenance, farm entrepreneurship, carpentry, and more. 2010's teens participated in the Department of Social Services (DSS) Farm Stand weekly at the Human Services building, and focused on selling and marketing of vegetables and cut flower arrangements. The apprentices also completed two building projects this year: a kid-sized bird house and two picnic tables. In this YHAP season, the group took field trips to assist with mulching projects at West Haven Farm and in the Commons.

2009: Meghan Cerveny coordinated the program for the third consecutive year and was joined by a previous Youth Apprentice, Benjamin Spector, acting as College Mentor. These two guided 13 apprentices through the most successful season for the program. Highlights include pergola and garden gates construction, bird habitat garden design and installation, swing restoration, and first farm-stand. This year, YHAP collaborated with the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Celebrate Urban Birds program and was given a spotlight on their Patners website. Click here to see the spotlight.

2008: Meghan Cerveny led this group of 11 with College Mentor Julie Butler to design and install a 60' X 60' labyrinth, plant and maintain the new Edible Garden, and beautify the troll house with a native ornamental planting.

2007: Supervised by Meghan Cerveny and College Mentor Julie Butler, this group of seven helped the garden expand. Highlights include wetland swale planting, installation of a split rail fence to encompass the 150' x 50' vegetable garden and 50' x 25' maintenance area, creation of a plant nursery and renovation of compost and mulch bins.

2003-2006: Under the guidance of coordinator Matt Gelder, the Youth Horticulture Apprentice Program transitioned to the Ithaca Children's Garden site at Cass Park in 2003. It was this season's crew that transformed the drab and dilapidated swings at the site into colorful resting places. In 2004 and 2005, Bart Auble took over as coordinator and apprentices efforts began to focus more and more on the Garden at Cass Park. During these two years, apprentices built the arbor at the Growing Gardens, planted the hedge of curly willows, designed and built two living sculptures and created several new garden beds. In 2006, coordinator Jeff Klein led apprentices in building a new compost system for the Garden, designing a wonderfully mathematical temporary labyrinth, and revitalizing the herb garden

2001-2002: The YHAP transitioned to a community-based program in 2001 and apprentices spent their time on various horticulture and community beautification projects throughout Tompkins County. Science teacher Keith Thomson coordinated the program for these two years and led apprentices in work at sites such as the Farmers Market, the Reconstruction Home, the Purity Traffic Island, the Bridge to Science and city parks.

1999-2000: On the Ithaca Commons: YHAP's first coordinator, Lee Ginenthal, was instrumental in setting up the programs basic structure. His work built upon an earlier apprentice program coordinated by Monika Roth and provided a solid foundation from which the program has grown. During the 1999 and 2000 seasons, the Ithaca Children's Garden hadn't yet identified a site for the Garden. As a result, the Youth Horticulture Apprentice Program was based at the Ithaca Commons. Apprentices planted and maintained the Commons planters, downtown traffic triangles, and other community beautification projects. Their centerpiece was the Tropical Bed.

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615 Willow Avenue, Ithaca, NY 14850-3555. 607 272 2292, fax: 607 272 7088