DC Students and Henry County Master Gardeners Receive Native Garden Grant

DEFIANCE, Ohio – The Henry County Master Gardeners in partnership with Defiance College’s McMaster School for Advancing Humanity recently received a $1,870 grant from the Henry County Community Foundation to plant a native garden. The garden will be created in Henry County and used as part of an adult and children’s education program.

DC students working under Project 701, Defiance College’s student-run non-profit, will work with the Master Gardeners to review the previously chosen site and propose a site layout. After the layout is approved, students will plant the specimens and work with the Master Gardeners to develop the education program. Once the project is complete, the garden will be maintained by the Henry County Master Gardeners.

“This grant should allow Defiance College students to get practical experience in ecological restoration, while fulfilling a community-based need for Henry County at the same time.  This ‘win-win’ type of partnership is exactly what service learning at DC and the McMaster School for Advancing Humanity are all about,” said Dr. Douglas Kane, assistant professor of biology.

The McMaster School, established in 2002, supports creative models of active citizenship and public service for DC students and promotes innovative approaches to teaching and learning.

Project 701 is a separate legal entity, incorporated under the laws of the State of Ohio, run by a Board of Directors comprised of DC students, faculty, administrators, and alumni.  It is administered as part of the McMaster School. The organization incorporates the strengths of various academic disciplines in order to develop innovative strategies to address community needs. It also provides entrepreneurial training and experience that will enable students to even more effectively use the skills and knowledge they learn in the classroom.

Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.

August 16, 2011