West Conn's Jane Goodall Center for Excellence in Environmental Studies recently received grants to support operation of its Permaculture Garden on the Midtown campus. The grants will be used to pay student interns to care for the on-campus garden, as well as for the maintenance and development of the garden itself. 

The summer internship program is designed to teach students about sustainability and permaculture. Among other things, the interns will learn the science and techniques behind permaculture, and will be trained to plant sustainable gardens, pick and plant seeds, understand the benefits of crop rotation, and identify plants correctly to avoid inappropriate weeding.

The three student interns, Charla Beauvais, Holly Pais and Astrid Sundberg, also will be responsible for cultivation of the garden’s crop as well as distributing a portion of the harvest to local food pantries. 

The funding awards include a $3,000 grant from the Fairfield County Community Foundation, $1,300 from the New England Grassroots Environment Fund and $400 from The Women’s Club of Danbury/New Fairfield.