The future of our planet is not by chance…but by choice.
Walking upon the grounds of Cornucopia at Malibu High School is an experience that touches upon all of the senses. The alluring site is filled with the scents of hummingbird sage and lavender, the bright vibrancy of poppies, giant sunflowers and native trees; and nature’s delicious flavors, including pineapple guavas, strawberries, tomatoes, zucchini and potatoes.
Before Santa Monica – Malibu United School District generously granted Cornucopia permits to use the land, it was a disarray of brush and weeds, albeit with an ocean view. The beauty of this lush edible landscape and natural outdoor classroom exists from the hard work completed by Cornucopia’s dynamic founders, Debra Bianco and Remy O’Neill. The duo’s sweat and landscaping efforts – augmented by the ongoing efforts of volunteers who believe in the project – have created a beautiful setting: a dry stream bed now decorated with rocks camouflages a cement ditch, a shaded teaching amphitheater offers space for before and after school enrichment programs, science classes and summer programs. They’re hard at work on future projects: a yurt, cabanas, a secret garden and the installation of more picnic tables.
Cornucopia Garden
The Cornucopia Foundation is a learning center that teaches sustainability through the hands-on application of ecological principles. Bianco and O’Neill believe in the importance of food: grown simply, high in quality, safety and variety. At the site, they teach Cornucopia’s founding principles: the process of returning back to nature through “cradle to cradle.” Cradle to cradle follows the natural cycle of life: students participate in the planting of seeds and growing food, then composting with worm mulch, and finally re-planting in the new compost – leading to rebirth. Bianco and O’Neill stress the importance of educating children about the wonders of organic farming and sustainability using this approach. By imitating nature, they hope to conquer problems of pollution, global warming, resource degradation and a broken sense of community.
“The more you get attached to the land and to nature, the more you want to protect it,” O’Neill said. “When you see the elegance of the design of nature, we cannot come close. It’s amazing to see children and adults watch and learn how nature solves its own problems through its own strategies for survival. If we had been watching nature, and not busy doing it ‘our way’ so arrogantly, we would have fewer environmental problems and be further ahead.”
When you see the elegance of the design of nature, we cannot come close
Bianco and O’Neill teach children, elementary through high school, in the outdoor classroom and offer workshops and seminars for adults. There is also a Citizens’ Scientist Program: an interactive and hands-on program that teaches students biology, conservation and observation of birds and bird habitats. They pass on information to Cornell University’s Ornithology Lab.
“The kids get to be citizen scientists because the data that they collect, they send to Cornell and it gets published online for the scientists of the world to view and research. The sense of their self worth is at an all-time high and we have the honor of owning this curriculum.”
In Bianco and O’Neill’s before and after school programs, students learn gardening and cooking with integrated science lessons.
“The children did a project with pumpkins where they planted the seeds in a garden, measured them as they grew, and then they had a big harvest and a parade,” Bianco said. “They cooked them and made soup and pie. Then they put the scraps into the worm farm. They are learning the cradle to cradle technique.”
Cornucopia supported their project by hosting Malibu’s Farmers Market for six years and Bianco and O’Neill are hoping to bring the market back to life. To support their cause and learn about supporting the foundation through donations (including a tool shed), visit: http://www.malibucopia.com.
When not sitting at her computer writing, jamming in the SoCal music scene, or practicing Yoga, Lori Denman is frequently seen on a surfboard, inhaling the salt air, and riding the waves.