By Meghan Streit
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Planting and tending to a garden is one of the best ways to connect to the planet. In celebration of Earth Day in April, Sedgebrook’s gardening club dusted off their shovels and headed outside to plant flowers.

The green-thumbed residents also took the opportunity to share their gardening expertise with Cub Scouts from Pack 95 of nearby Vernon Hills. The seven- to ten-year-old boys got their hands dirty while helping Sedgebrook residents plant pansies, violas, and snap dragons.

“They built a connection with the residents and bonded while planting and working together,” says Ron Lester, of Pack 95’s leaders. “They all had a lot of fun.” The cross-generational afternoon was gratifying for the youngsters and retirees alike, evidenced by smiles and laughter all around.

“We thought it was wonderful and a good education for the kids,” says Sedgebrook gardener Mary Ellen LeRoy. Staying involved and giving back to the local community is a top priority for people who live at Sedgebrook; they’ve made it an annual tradition to kick off the spring season by inviting Cub Scouts to help out with flower planting.

Whether it is planting flowers, reading to children, or mentoring teens in an after-school program, people at Sedgebrook have ample opportunities to share their knowledge of a particular subject with local youth. Many volunteers say they get as much out of the experience as the kids they are helping.