Taylor Mountain Elementary Students Delight in New Donated Garden

The green space, installed by a local real estate agent, has become a focal point for young students to learn through hands-on experience.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 6:41pm

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A high-contrast, brightly colored silkscreen print of a gardening tool, such as a watering can or trowel, repeated in a grid pattern to create a modern pop art illustration representing the new garden at Taylor Mountain Elementary School.The new garden at Taylor Mountain Elementary has become a hub of hands-on learning and community-building for the school's young students.Santa Rosa Today

The new garden at Taylor Mountain Elementary School in Santa Rosa, California, was installed at no cost by local real estate agent Dillon Forsyth. The garden, made up of six raised beds in reused wine barrels, has already become a fixture for the school's kindergarten students, who were involved in the planning process and now use the space for hands-on learning about ecosystems, plant growth, and community building.

Why it matters

The garden provides an important learning environment for the predominantly low-income students at Taylor Mountain, many of whom do not have access to green spaces or opportunities to garden at home. The hands-on, outdoor experience supports the students' academic and social-emotional development in ways that traditional classroom learning cannot.

The details

Forsyth paid for and built the garden over two weeks in early March, allowing the students to decide what plants and foods they wanted to grow. On March 13, a group of students helped with the final touches, planting seeds and watering the beds. The garden has already become a hub of activity, with students learning about ecosystems, plant needs, and teamwork as they care for the growing plants together.

  • The garden was installed in early March 2026.
  • On March 13, 2026, students helped with the final touches on the garden.
  • The kindergarten students have been visiting and working in the garden since it was installed.

The players

Dillon Forsyth

A local real estate agent who paid for and built the garden at Taylor Mountain Elementary School.

Reiley Obedin

A kindergarten teacher at Taylor Mountain Elementary School.

Rachel Daniele

A kindergarten teacher at Taylor Mountain Elementary School.

Emiliano Salinas Rosas

A kindergarten student at Taylor Mountain Elementary School who helped plant the garden.

Renata Cruz-Wilches

A school volunteer who helped the students plant and care for the garden.

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What they’re saying

“They wanted tomatoes, cucumbers, they wanted peas, lettuce, kale, carrots. One kid wanted to try and grow fish and I had to tell them we couldn't.”

— Dillon Forsyth, Real estate agent

“It's so important for them to learn through play. They learn the best that way, through touch... more than worksheets and being in the classroom. So being outside is so good for them.”

— Rachel Daniele, Kindergarten teacher

“It's team building. A lot of it is sharing out here. We had to share the plants - just knowing that this is part of the school garden is building community.”

— Rachel Daniele, Kindergarten teacher

What’s next

The school plans to continue using the garden as an outdoor learning space for the kindergarten classes, with plans to potentially expand it to include more grade levels in the future.

The takeaway

This garden project demonstrates the positive impact that community-driven initiatives can have on underprivileged students, providing them with valuable hands-on learning experiences and a sense of ownership over their school environment.