The People's Garden Initiative

2011 NHL All-Star Mike Green and USDA People's Garden Director Livia Marques will lead the entire school community.

USDA's ''People's Garden'' Initiative and the Washington Capitals are working together to bring a school garden to a local elementary school. USDA People's Garden Director Livia Marqu????????(C)s and Washington Capitals Defensemen and 2011 NHL All-Star Mike Green will lead the entire school community, including students, teachers and parents in a brainstorming session.

Participants will work in groups and present ideas for a ''People's Garden'' at their school. USDA landscape architects will bring together these ideas and create a formal design, which will be unveiled in March. The garden will be built before Spring 2011.

''The People's Garden Initiative'' is a nationwide effort, which was started by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in 2009. The initiative challenges all USDA employees to start ''People's Gardens'' at USDA facilities or help communities create gardens. ''People's Gardens'' bring together people - young, old and from all ethnicities and all walks of life who seek ways, big and small, to improve their community and the environment.

Source: USDA Office of Communications