Tell me about the work you do as a garden educator!

Of course! Pre-Covid, I was actually a full time “Garden Ranger'' in other words, a garden teacher. I got the chance to do it for four years, mainly at elementary schools. Teaching kids from Pre-k, all the way to 6t​ h​ grade. Many of those lessons included veggie seasons in LA, composting, basics on soil, friends and foes in the garden, simple flower anatomy or seed anatomy. As years passed by and I got more comfortable in my role as a garden teacher, I started to go beyond some of the basic lessons (depending on the grade). I started teaching about zero waste and plastic pollution and found a way to connect it to the garden. I also started to incorporate what I called, “garden observations ``at the beginning of each class. Where I had students draw/write in their garden journals the changes and new growth that they noticed in the garden. It was great to see because students would spend 10-15 mins of quiet time just observing plants, and some students would say to me, “Miss look at this now! That’s so cool”. As a garden educator I saw the importance of kids having this type of space to learn. For kids to just simply observe in the garden, observe their surroundings, the plants itself, and how beautiful or even delicate plants can be. I was saddened that COVID has taken this opportunity away from kids and me not being able to do that work, but in a way, I’m still educating by doing garden consultations for people, and when I get the chance to share bits and pieces of garden related things online.

I’d love to expand on the importance of educating young folks on gardening, growing our food, and treating the land with care. What are your thoughts on this notion and how does the work you do address this?

"I truly believe that if kids at a young age start to learn about plants, the environment, and are a part of planting a seed and watch it grow and then harvest, that as they get older, they will have much appreciation for the soil and be great environmental stewards."

Right now, there’s so many of us that are disconnected from the earth. Although we as humxns are part of earth and nature. But we have forgotten that, and I believe part of that is because we aren’t exposed to it at a young age. Many folxs have no clue how food is grown, or where that beautiful tomato comes from. That the food we eat comes from the soil, literally. I can remember in one of zero waste lessons, where we were talking about trash and landfills, and how much trash the typical person makes in the U.S, some of my students were so surprised, and asked me questions like, “but why would we do that? Why don’t we just stop making all those things?” and etc. So, when I was getting questions like that, it was clear to me that we simply have to learn at a young age, about soil, food, how things are made, where it ends up, like food waste and trash in general. And how our high consumption levels are a result of that. Other things I noticed about my students, (and why I continue to think that teaching them at a young age about all this stuff is important), is that they also love to see things grow and getting to EAT it all, and then going home and even asking for salads for certain veggies because they got a chance to plant, see it grow, and eat it. So, it makes a great connection to food, how much energy/water/ sunlight it takes to get that radish, or carrot, or cucumber.

What aspects of gardening and being outdoors bring you the most joy?

I would say that one of the most enjoying aspects of gardening is seeing a seed sprout and grow. When it just pops up right out of the soil, first the little cotyledons that come out, and then seeing the first true leaves grow. Knowing that I planted that seed and it germinated, and that I was part of that process too! What also brings me joy in the garden is seeing how a flower in the garden turns into a fruit, whether it be a snap pea, squash or tomato. From the first buds appearing, then the flower blooming, to the petals of the flower falling off as the fruit slowly forms after pollination. Which brings me to another aspect that brings me joy, seeing all the pollinators enjoying the garden, visiting one flower to the next. Whether it’s a bee, butterfly, or a hummingbird, it brings so much joy that they are part of the garden too and help with bringing the fruit in the garden. And last but not least, just the smell of the soil, that Earth, especially after it rains!

Let’s touch on your low impact / zero waste mindset and lifestyle! What does low impact mean to you, what is the importance, and what does that look like in your day to day life?

As humxns on this earth, who again, are part of, not separate from, we have the ability to nurture ourselves and mother earth at the same time. But we also have the ability to unfortunately be a part of the destruction happening on earth. So, within the current context that we live in, with corporations mainly being at fault for much of the pollution and destruction, as an individual I try to not support them, create the least possible trash, not over-consume, and at the same time share that lifestyle online to hopefully inspire others to do the same. Now, many will say, individual action or voting with your dollar is BS. Which in part, may be true, if you aren’t teaching or sharing with others or your community, but what if most of us were to say, “we are not supporting this process or company any longer because they aren’t sustainable”? What would happen to that company that is polluting? They wouldn’t have the chance to really exist because we no longer support them. As more of us learn and give a try to low impact living like saying no to over-consumption and pushing companies to do better, the more of a chance we have for a sustainable and just future. I also want to acknowledge that living a low waste lifestyle depends on accessibility and privilege because of the current system we live in. Many folx don’t have access to bulk and package free stores. Some may be too expensive, or cost more than the packaged counterpart. Or having the privilege of time or money to go shopping and prepare meals with package free ingredients and even growing their own produce or being involved in local politics that push for sustainable practices. So, I really encourage folx who have the privilege and access to make better choices, to support sustainable companies or initiatives and do what they can, so that it eventually becomes a normalized lifestyle and accessible for everyone. The way it looks in my life, is that I visit farmers markets when I can, to get package free and local produce. I visit bulk stores and refill shops like Tare Grocery and Sustain LA, cook meals from scratch (but not always, we do enjoy take-out too), buying second hand as much as possible, with anything that comes into our house like furniture or clothes. If I do buy new clothes or products I always look to see if they are made from ingredients that makes them compostable at the end of their lifecycle. Pre-Covid I was also starting to do Low Waste workshops in the LA area to share with others, and I hope to continue that one day!

Top 3 books on your bookshelf at the moment.

Honestly, I am so bad at reading and finishing books. But right now, I’m still reading “Braiding Sweetgrass”, Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake, and the Sunset “Western Garden Book of Edibles.”

You open your music streaming platform. What are you clicking on to listen to?

Some nice house music!

What meal are you feeling nourished by as of late?

Bowls, with beans, rice, a roasted veggie like sweet potatoes and a creamy sauce on top or a kraut.

Thank you so much for chatting with me, Cindy! Lastly, for those looking to follow along with your content and support you, where can they find you and what does supporting you look like?

Thank you very much! They can find me at cerowastecindy on Instagram, or cerowastecindy.com.