A new club joins the Recognized Student Organization (RSO) roster this semester, theGardening Club, which will help students become more connected to the environment on and around campus.
Katie Sigler is a sophomore criminal justice major who started the club when she felt inspired by her own love of gardening.
“I know when I feel down, I like gardening,” said Sigler. “Especially at home during COVID, [gardening] was huge for my family, so it really kept me going. I just think [with] spiritual things like that, it’s really cool to see something grow.”
Sigler said gardening is a relaxing pastime that helps bring people together. Her family bonded while gardening during the pandemic, and she said she hopes to do the same with students. She said she intends to help students find friends with similar passions.
Her plan is to create a more connected campus community. To Sigler, gardening is a hobby that can be shared by all no matter students’ major or background.
“I think it would be a really cool addition to the campus,” Sigler said, “because not only does it let people be more in tune with the campus around us, it can connect a lot of different clubs as well.”
Sigler also said she hopes that, through Gardening Club, students will feel encouraged to help the environment. Her goal is to have members of all different majors and gardening backgrounds working together to build a greener community. Gardening Club will also be an opportunity for community service for students interested in volunteering on and around campus. She also intends to work with other RSOs on campus-wide gardening events.
Sigler is planning exactly what the weekly Gardening Club meetings will look like. She said she plans to have plenty of time during weekly meetings for flower-based arts and crafts, as well as larger projects that involve hands-on planting around campus. Currently in the works are do-it-yourself crafts that include painting plant pots and using resin and flowers to create various art pieces.
For now, the times and location of the Gardening Club meetings are not finalized. However, Sigler said interested students should continue to check Charger Connection with updates. She also invites students to email her directly with questions.
Anyone interested in joining Gardening Club can email [email protected]. No gardening experience in art or gardening is necessary.
