Garden

Welcome to the Galileo Garden  

The Galileo Garden is a place where education, nutrition, dedication and love all grow together to blossom into a tranquil ecosystem. This ecosystem supports Galileo by providing healthy organic produce, volunteer opportunities, donation opportunities and hands-on agricultural experience for our students and the D-11 Community.

The unique learning environment is utilized all school year by our students and staff. Our students help with a variety of tasks which range from maintenance and designing to planting and harvesting. Our garden has served as a supreme area for educational lessons, poetry readings, counseling sessions and even music concerts. 

Our garden is managed by Master Gardener Renelle Palmer-Bernal. It is maintained with the aid of year-around volunteers. These volunteers kindly donate their time to help keep our garden healthy and safe. We are always accepting volunteer applications and looking for volunteer parties interested in large-scale projects. To find out more information on D-11 volunteer requirements, visit the D-11 homepage and select "Parents & Community", then select "D-11 Engage". There is a link provided at the bottom of the page. If you would like to fill out a form, you can print one off from the D-11 Volunteer Form link below. 

Meet Mrs. Renelle~

   Hello D-11 Community! I'm Renelle Palmer-Bernal and I am the Master Gardener here at The Galileo School of Math & Science. I have a background in Criminal Justice with a degree in Investigation Management.  I have been with Galileo for 9 years. I spent my first year working as the Health Technician in the main office. After that, I spent 2 years working as a secretary in the Main Office. Since then, I have moved out to the garden. During my time at The Galileo Garden I have had the privilege of working with many talented people, such as, the Boy Scouts of America, Fountain Valley School of Colorado, CityServe "COSILoveYou", Dome Creations of Colorado Springs and Growing Spaces Geodesic Dome Greenhouses, Pagosa Colorado. I am always available to answer questions or chat about volunteering, sponsors and donations for the garden. My email is renelle.palmer@d11.org. 

Commonly Asked Questions:

 "What's in the Garden?"

   - We have 104 4'x8' raised growing beds,  four fruit tree beds, a Sensory Garden, a Pollinator Path and a Colorado Native Plant Trail. 

"Where does the food go?"

   - The produce grown at Galileo is split four ways. It first goes directly into the cafeteria for student meals. It is sold at The Margarita at Pine Creek Farmers Market located at 7350 Pine Creek Rd. from June-October, it is sold to staff/ community year around and it is donated. 

"Is the Garden open to the public?"

   - Yes, the garden is always open for tours and benefits highly from outside visitors. Please send an email to schedule a tour. The weather and snow do affect tours. Tours last about 20 minutes maximum.

"What can I donate?"

   - Organic yard waste, leaf litter, dirt, pine needles, plants, garden materials, landscape materials, egg shells, non flavored coffee grounds, organic food waste, cow manure, horse manure, poultry waste.

      ***Please no dog/cat waste***

(Galileo thanks all who have donated!)