Mountain Discovery Charter School

Mountain Discovery Charter School is located in a rural, under-served region of NC. Located near the reservation boundary of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indian and at the front door to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the school has made a point to involve its students in environmentally-centered education, with frequent hikes, backpacking trips, and service-learning projects. The school currently has two 3’x5’ raised beds and a 5’x6’ space, hard-scratched in the soil and planted with collards and kale.

We would like to enlarge our existing growing space and capacity for seed-saving. In so doing, students will further their understanding of plant genetics through careful plant selection. At the end of the growing season, seeds will be harvested to save and replant later, drawing on Native American and pioneer traditions.

A portion of the seeds will be donated to Sylva Sprouts, a local seed-saving library that stores and donates open-pollinated seeds.