Growing Together: RSE Garden Club Nurtures Students and a Love of Nature

There is plenty growing in the garden at Remsenburg-Speonk Elementary School, but the most important growth is happening among the students who care for it.

Under the guidance of RSE educator Maria Plitt, the school’s Garden Club provides students with a hands-on opportunity to plant, tend, harvest and learn from the natural world around them. Plitt oversees the club and has become a nurturing presence for both the garden and the young gardeners who help it thrive.

Throughout the growing season, students have cared for a variety of vegetables, including tomatoes, zucchini and peppers, watching their work transform from small plants into fresh produce they can proudly bring home and enjoy.

For Plitt, the garden is as much about cultivating curiosity, responsibility and patience as it is about producing a successful harvest. Students learn that a thriving garden requires consistent attention, teamwork and care, lessons that extend well beyond the garden beds.

Plitt continues to nurture that foundation, creating an environment where students can get their hands dirty, experience nature firsthand and take pride in watching something grow because of their efforts, including all summer long.

WATCH: Check out the news reel that we featured on RSE FB and IG too!