Knoll Programming

Garden Volunteer Hours

The garden has been almost entirely powered by volunteers and interns for 20 years, and we are grateful you are here. 

Our Spring 2023 Garden Volunteer Hours will start Monday, April 3rd and run until ~ May 12th* 

• Mondays BIPOC Affinity hours**: 1-3pm
• Tuesdays: 8:30am - 10:30 am
• Thursdays: 1-3pm
• Fridays: 1-3pm

**Please note, Thursday sessions are held as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other people of color) affinity space, facilitated by BIPOC student interns and staff

Please be sure to check out www.go.middlebury.edu/knollhours for the latest daily updates in the event of cancellations due to weather, and for updates.

Physical Education Credit

Starting in Fall 2020, we have offered physical education credit for attending at least four sessions (8 hours) of Volunteer Garden Hours in one semester. 

To furrow, to winnow, to hand mow, to harvest, to broadfork, to wheelbarrow, to broadcast, to mulch, to scout, to steward… What goes into gardening at the Knoll, and why? Join us in working outside while we learn about and carry forward the practices of hand work in the learning garden at the Knoll. We will explore a variety of techniques and approaches to caring for soil and understanding cycles of regeneration. All meetings will open with a welcome and a short, guided contemplative practice. No previous experience is required, bring your questions and a willingness to try something new.

To receive PE credit, in-person participants must attend at least four gardening sessions (2 hours each), ideally, spread throughout the gardening season within one semester. We have an in-person sign-in sheet to keep attendance; there’s no need to sign up in advance.

*If you are a senior in need of your PE credit to graduate, please, please try to wrap up your attendance before May 1.

For all Garden Volunteers: Please bring a full water bottle and wear closed-toed shoes, and layers suitable for movement in the weather. All other supplies provided, and there is no cost to participants. Please direct questions to Megan Brakeley, associate director, at mbrakeley@middlebury.edu.

Self-guided Tours and Activities

For Fall 2020, we are pleased to share some resources for self-guided, physically distant exploration of the Knoll. Check out the digital handout introducing the Knoll created by Maya Gomez ’20 and a Seek & Find Scavenger Hunt for solo or paired use.

Want to learn more? 

Get involved with Knoll Friends student organization by emailing lead organizer Crystal Zhou ‘23.5.

You can read our annual program reports spanning the 20 years of the Knoll’s evolution at go/knollreports, check out the Knoll’s student-run blog at go/knollblog, and follow the Instagram account (@middknoll) to stay up to date with the latest.