Freedom High School in Albuquerque now has a restorative garden

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A big donation from a major retailer is helping transform an old dirt lot at an Albuquerque high school into something a lot more meaningful.

“I think it’s amazing,” said Adrian Mora, On the surface, it’s new flowers, vegetable plants and even some gnomes sprinkled throughout this garden at Albuquerque Public Schools’ Freedom High School.  “It was mainly just dirt these weren’t even filled. The potters weren’t filled and there was no flowers either, it was just dirt,” said Mora.

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Students say this upgraded space is far more than just a garden. “How I’m seeing it today is actually pretty happy, because I like to be outdoors and sometimes, they let me just come out here and do my work,” said Deisy Medina, Senior.

The new restorative garden at Freedom High School serves as not only a place for studying, the school hopes it’s also a place that can help students in other ways like problem solving and bonding with classmates. “This garden area is going to be used more as a restorative area a space we can strengthen those relationship with students,” said Principal Marisol Fraga, Freedom High School.

“They need a place that is more neutral that more surrounded by nature and helps them to open up and calm them down,” said Linda Kane, Restorative Practice Manager.

With help from the district’s restorative practice team and Walmart around 35 volunteers rebuilt the empty garden this morning, taking three hours to lay out new soil seeds and donate garden tools to care for the space. “They went from not having anywhere to go to having this beautiful garden,” said Amanda Dyer, Freedom high school family liaison.

Students say they’re grateful for the support. “It makes me very happy and very proud because we don’t get recognized a lot since we are a magnet school,” said Medina.

They also say they’re ready to use the finished space. “I feel like it makes me more relaxed, now we have a place to study and get ready for finals,” said Mora.

The school is hoping that by the end of the growing season students will be able to take some of the vegetables from this new garden home with them or donate them to the community.

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