Hansen's Natural and Native School Garden Grant Winners

Extending their commitment to provide consumers with quality products made from natural ingredients, Hansen’s Natural is working to spread the message that “Native is Best” for our landscapes. To promote the benefits of native plants and foster the installation of naturalized gardens in schoolyards, Hansen's sponsored the 2009 Hansen's Natural and Native School Garden Grant, which provided three schools in the San Francisco Bay area with a garden kit consisting of a variety of native plants and gardening supplies valued at $1,500.

"At Hansen’s, we know the value of working with nature to make quality products, and we want to continue sharing the knowledge with future generations," explains Blair Owens, Vice President of Marketing. “We teamed up with the National Gardening Association to help teach our youth about the benefits of growing their own native gardens as a way to connect with nature. With each garden, students will learn the value of natural foods and will make positive connections to products that are made with all-natural ingredients."

Native plants are natural tools for teaching kids about ecology, wildlife habitat, pollution, global warming, water conservation, and many other current issues. They have evolved and are well adapted to local conditions and existing soils. Once they are established, native plants require little to no irrigation, fertilization, or pruning. Over time, they have also developed intricate relationships with other wildlife in the ecosystem. Native plants provide important habitat elements (food and shelter) and possess strategies for resisting common insect pests and diseases. All these traits mean that native plants are excellent choices for drought-resistant, low-maintenance gardening and landscaping.

“This grant was a wonderful opportunity to enhance our Green Schoolyard Program," shares grant winner William Hack, principal of Claire Lilienthal K-8 Alternative School in San Francisco. "For the past 10 years, we have offered an extensive outdoor education science program that has taken children out of the city and into the surrounding Bay Area and California nature preserves to learn about their native environment," explains William. Thanks to this grant, the school now has an on-site location to help integrate lessons about native plants, insects, and wildlife with the goal, as William says, of teaching students “the importance of nature in our everyday lives."

Prior to winning the grant, William describes the school as "a sea of asphalt surrounded by monochromatic buildings." Now the school boasts 1,400 square feet of garden space dedicated to native plantings. The new native gardens are part of a comprehensive educational program. William explains that teachers and parent volunteers are working to create an inspiring outdoor environment for exploration and discovery that will serve as "a place of learning where the next generation of socially responsible citizens is developed."

Additional winners include Sunol Glen School in Livermore, California, and Egbert W. Beach Elementary in Piedmont, California.

About Hansen's Natural
Since 1935, we have dedicated ourselves to providing our customers with superior "better for you" beverages that are made from the best products possible. To us, this means making products with all-natural ingredients that are not only healthy and refreshing, but also delicious. Our natural cane sodas contain no artificial flavors, colors, or high-fructose corn syrup. It's what our customers expect and why we've enjoyed a loyal following for over 70 years. Learn more at www.hansens.com.