Page 67 - April 2015 Life In Naples Magazine

participate in “Collier Greens,” a gardening 63 EUGENIA DRIVE $2,150,000
support organization which works with over
5000 school kids in the community. Through Pine Ridge estate home set on 1.47 acres overlooking Mockingbird Lake.
Collier Greens, the Naples Botanical Garden Charming verandas, tranquil Koi ponds and thoughtful design features
helps schools develop gardens though throughout. This unique home combines art and architecture in a
mentoring, gardening classes, and fundraising. coveted “in town” location.
One very involved teacher, Susan Paul-
Decaster, of Laurel Oak Elementary, was just 172 CAJEPUT DRIVE $2,485,000
awarded a Golden Apple Award for engaging
her third grade students with hands-on learning projects, inquiry Spacious Mockingbird Lake Estate home on 1.79 acres featuring large,
and observation of her classroom’s STEM (Science, Technology, accommodating family room with dramatic brick fireplace. Updated
Engineering and Math)-based garden.
gourmet kitchen, red maple wood flooring bordered with black chestnut
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” edging, and gated entrance with fountain.

– Audrey Hepburn Sue Black, Broker Associate

Why else should kids learn to garden? In keeping with upcoming 239.250.5611
Earth Day, gardening helps students understand and respect our sue.black@sothebysrealty.com
environment, while providing instruction on the care of living sueblack.premiersothebysrealty.com
things. Kids can also develop patience as the garden grows and
acquire a taste for home-grown vegetables and fruits. At the same Sotheby’s International Realty and the Sotheby’s International Realty logo are
time, they can experience the outdoors and all that it promotes: registered service marks used with permission.
physical activity and an appreciation for nature.
Each Office is Independently Owned and Operated.
Avalon Elementary, which is located in close proximity to the
Garden, began a Global Garden program in 2003, which has served as
a springboard of sorts for the Collier Greens program with outreach
to many other schools. Several nearby elementary schools, like
Parkside and Shadowlawn, have built and tended gardens on campus.
The Shadowlawn school garden is notable for having donated over 50
lbs. of harvested food to St. Matthew’s House already.

The Garden’s Youth Program Manager, Britt Patterson-Weber,
can be reached via email at: BPatterson-Weber@naplesgarden.
org, with questions or to lend support. There are many ways to be
a part of the Collier Greens initiative, whether by providing a year’s
worth of seeds ($250) or building a school yard garden ($2,500) -
or underwriting a garden workshop for 25 local teachers thereby
seeing your gift exponentially increase, as this gift, of $1000, touches
500 students.

The Garden is beginning its third decade of service to the
community, having preserved 170 acres of land from development,
as an oasis of nature, education, conservation, artistic endeavors
and more. From the Garden’s website naplesgarden.org: “In the
next twenty years, 2.6 million acres of Florida land are likely to
be converted to urban use, making Southwest Florida’s remaining
green spaces all the more precious to future generations.” Saving
a tree today, and teaching a kid how to garden, bodes well for our
collective, indeed, connected future.

Email Karen at NaplesKCC@gmail.com. Karen moved to Naples in
1994, where then as an attorney she incorporated the Naples Botanical
Garden as a pro bono act of public service. Connie Alsbrook, a long-
time Naples resident, was part of a group of founding Naples Botanical
Garden members who sought legal counsel, approaching Karen, Steve
Thompson, Esq. and Jennifer Nackley, Esq., to create the Garden. The
Garden today is a testament to these early goals, and, the promise of a
vibrant future.