On April 27th, Gardening Club hosted a natural dyes workshop at the garden outside the mail center. Led by Jessica Smith, Fibers Professor, SCAD students and families utilized environmentally safe, plant-based dyes the garden to design sustainable fabrics for their own designs. Beyond dye, students can also harvest plants for a natural selection of fibers.
Photo credit: Jordan Petteys
Built on community, sustainability and a love for plants, the Gardening Club aims to educate and inspire students to adopt mindful and healthy practices with the environment. Members believe gardening embodies creativity and sustainability, benefiting anyone who experiences stress, anxiety or depression.
“It’s really important to have an ecologically sound mindset because we are the people that need to change what’s going on in the world and revitalize it by strengthening our knowledge on plants and using them to better our surroundings and our experience through college,” Gardening Club President Thailia Chee, Fibers, said.
The club invites everyone to enjoy and harvest from the garden, but encourages students to attend meetings and become properly educated on garden etiquette. “We always say that if you put energy in, you put energy out. That’s our big thing. You don’t have to stick to one thing, here we’re all over the place and that’s what makes us better learners, gardeners and students. You leave feeling great, ready to start the day,” Vice President Eleanor McCune, Interior Design, said.
Photo credit: Jordan Petteys
The leadership team hopes to expand the garden, establish a composting system and continue empowering SCAD with sustainable gardening practices. To promote healthier eating, Gardening club allocates the majority of their produce to SCAD cafeterias. Club members believe this empowers students to have more control over what they eat.
“[A garden is] a small thing, but it can be a really big force. Scientific Drawing club even came in and did some plant drawing. We really have a good, solid club that people can come and connect with,” McCune said.
Photo credit: Jordan Petteys
Gardening Club meets bi-weekly at the garden outside the mail center. Students interested in joining are encouraged to connect with the Facebook page (SCAD Gardening Club) and Instagram (@scadgardeningclub) for updates.
By Jordan Petteys
