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What can a campus garden teach students beyond growing food? At Grand Canyon University, students are building practical skills, finding community, and helping shape a space of their own.

In this episode of Harvesting Wisdom, guest hosts Gracie and Lily visit the GCU Garden to speak with Kate, a graduate assistant who oversees the garden’s operations and student staff through Outdoor Recreation.

Kate shares how students help build and maintain the space—from an outdoor kitchen to garden paths—and learn to solve problems along the way. They also discuss composting, reusing materials, irrigation challenges, and how garden events bring people together.

The conversation explores what happens when students have a place to slow down, get their hands in the soil, and turn what they know into something they can use.

In this episode:
Hands-on learning beyond the classroom
Student-led projects and practical building skills
Composting food scraps and giving materials a second life
Working through irrigation challenges with limited resources
Creating a welcoming space for connection and belonging
Helping students discover gardening through events and classes

Whether you’re an educator, college student, garden leader, or curious beginner, this episode offers a look at how a garden can grow alongside the people who care for it.

What’s one skill you’ve learned in a garden that you use somewhere else? Tell us in the comments!

Subscribe to Harvesting Wisdom for more conversations about food, sustainability, education, and community.

Explore Harvesting Wisdom:
https://harvestingwisdompodcast.org

Learn about Urban Farming Education and Project Grow:
https://weareufe.org

Guest: Kate, GCU Garden graduate assistant
Guest hosts: Gracie and Lily
Recorded at the GCU Garden in Phoenix, Arizona

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What started as one mother teaching her daughter outdoors grew into a school serving about 80 students. Discover how Paradise Earth Academy combines strong academics, school gardening, and time in nature.

In this episode of Harvesting Wisdom, Dr. Joe Roselle visits Paradise Earth Academy in Gilbert, Arizona, to speak with founder Melissa Alexander about the journey from a small homeschooling group to a growing school community.

Melissa shares how focused academic blocks, outdoor breaks, and hands-on experiences shape the school day. We explore the garden as a place to learn, slow down, and connect—and how families are learning alongside their children.

IN THIS EPISODE:
• The story behind Paradise Earth Academy
• Balancing academics with outdoor exploration
• A cell phone-free campus and flexible schedules
• Using the garden for science, math, art, and stewardship
• The vision for orchards, outdoor classrooms, and food production
• How community partners can help the garden grow

GET INVOLVED
Interested in supporting the garden with trees, materials, gardening expertise, or agricultural partnerships? Connect with Paradise Earth Academy or Urban Farming Education below.

Paradise Earth Academy:
https://paradiseearthacademy.com/

Urban Farming Education / Project Grow:
https://weareufe.org/

Harvesting Wisdom:
https://harvestingwisdompodcast.org/

💬 What would you add to a school garden to help students learn? Tell us in the comments!

Subscribe to Harvesting Wisdom for conversations about school gardens, growing food, and connecting communities with nature.

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Why do some stories inspire action while others get lost in the noise? Communications strategist Kate Gardiner joins Mike McMahon to explore how storytelling can build trust, reach the right audience, and move environmental conversations beyond awareness.

Kate is the founder and CEO of Last Word Communications, formerly Grey Horse. Drawing on her journalism and communications experience, she shares lessons from environmental campaigns, documentary projects, and crisis communications—and discusses the role of human judgment as AI reshapes how we create and consume content.

In this episode of Harvesting Wisdom, we explore:

• Turning environmental awareness into community action
• Connecting soil health, conservation, and education through storytelling
• Choosing the right platform for your message and audience
• Why planning your communications before a crisis matters
• AI, authenticity, and the future of human creativity
• Finding hope through education and collective action

Whether you’re an educator, nonprofit leader, communicator, or someone who wants to make a difference, this conversation explores how the stories we share influence what happens next.

CONNECT WITH KATE
Website: https://kategardiner.com/
Last Word Communications: https://lastwordcommunications.com/

EXPLORE OUR WORK
Harvesting Wisdom: https://harvestingwisdompodcast.org/
Urban Farming Education: https://weareufe.org/

Educators and school garden leaders: visit Urban Farming Education to learn more about Project Grow and garden-based learning.

Subscribe to Harvesting Wisdom for conversations about soil, sustainability, education, and the people helping communities grow.

What is one story that changed how you think about the environment or your community? Share it in the comments.