The Peoria Riverfront Museum is taking a green-thumb approach to boost interest in the local environment.
Dozens of third graders from Norwood Elementary scrambled to plant the inaugural seeds in a 1,500 square foot education garden outside the museum. The project was paid for largely by a $4,000 grant from Illinois American Water and will contain native plants, vegetables and herbs. Museum Vice President of Programs Ann Schmitt says the garden will help fill a knowledge gap for some visitors:
“We know that a lot of the children who come to the museum, who live close to the museum, live in the city, they’re not really aware of what’s grown in this region. And it’s important to understand the relationship between agriculture and the river.”
To that end, Schmitt says the garden will grow major area-crops like corn and soybeans and others that help reduce soil runoff into the Illinois River.