By Staff
VISION COMES TO LIFE Jan Trest, art education teacher at Lamar Foundation School, receives hugs from students Monday following a garden dedication in her honor. Photo by Steve Gillespie/The Meridian Star
By Steve Gillespie/The Meridian Star
May 17, 2001
It was a surprise for Jan Trest, but not for anyone else.
Lamar Foundation's on-campus experimental garden was named for Trest during a dedication ceremony earlier this week. Trest, an art education teacher, has worked at Lamar for 19 years.
The garden, used as an outdoor science lab for all grade levels, is something Trest said could be used for years to come.
Robin Davis, Lamar Elementary principal, said the garden was Trest's vision. Trest drew up plans and the school received an $800 grant from Keep America Beautiful to construct it. The grant was matched by a parent, Carla Warner of Meridian, whose daughter is in the sixth grade.
Students, faculty and parents all participated in the development of the garden through donations and labor.
The garden features a large fossil rock, fruit trees, a miniature pond, a weather station, a camp site, a vegetable box, a dig site, a compost and recycling center and bird feeders. The area serves as a habitat for birds, fish, snails, turtles, lizards and various bugs.
Trest said the purpose of the garden is to allow students to observe and explore, to use critical thinking skills and to have hands-on interaction with animal and plant life.
Steve Gillespie is a staff writer for The Meridian Star. Call him at 693-3233, ext. 3233, or e-mail him at sgillespie@themeridianstar.com.