Hilltop Garden an 'oasis on the outset of campus'

When confronted with the idea of nature, most IU students will automatically think of the Arboretum located in the center of campus. But there's another place, not far from the Arboretum, that is even richer with natural beauty. The Hilltop Garden and Nature Center sits behind Tulip Tree Apartments just off 10th Street and the Bypass at 2301 E. 10th St.\nHome to 75 children's trees and vegetable plots, perennial gardens, fruit trees, herb and tea gardens and various other kinds of horticulture, Hilltop Garden and Nature Center is a 5-acre wonder set just within campus limits. In fact, it is the only real garden on campus, which makes Hilltop a standout location. \nMarcia Figueiredo, greenhouse and grounds coordinator of Hilltop, agrees wholeheartedly. \n"Hilltop is absolutely a very unique place in the community and campus not only because it's educational, but because it's a garden," she said. \nThe garden is an educational place, though, not only because of the programs taught there, but because anyone who comes to work in the garden gets a deeper glimpse into the world of plants. \n"You learn about the ecology of the garden ... you don't just grow the plant, you learn about the plant and its growth," Figueiredo added.\nHilltop was established in 1948 by Barbara Shalucha, when the biologist started busing in children from all around the Bloomington area to explore and garden on the property. This started the now highly active Youth Garden Program, which catapulted Hilltop to the community status it has today. \nAlthough Hilltop is part of the School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, it is a completely independent nonprofit organization and serves as a community resource rather than a means to make money. Along with the Youth Garden Program, Hilltop is also home to community garden plots, preschool and home school camps and several community-involvement events. \nThe Youth Garden Program is one of the oldest children's programs in the United States. This is a 10-week program intended to teach and entertain children ages 5 to 13 about horticulture and nature. Each child is given a 4-by-4-foot plot of land and some seeds, which are planted in April. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday the participants cultivate their seeds into vegetables and other forms of plant life.\nStori Snyder, assistant director of Hilltop, is also the head of the Youth Garden Program. \n"The Youth Garden Program is an excellent opportunity for kids to have one-on-one interaction with plants like people did in past generations," she said. She also shared her favorite aspect of the program, which was simply sharing the experience with the children who participate. \n"It's really neat to see the excitement when they make the realization that what's growing is something they're going to eat," she said.\nBoth Snyder and Figueiredo share the same hope that more IU students and professors make use of the garden in the future because it is a readily available resource that is open to everyone. \n"(Gardens) have therapeutic value to the human -- the flowers, the trees, everything," Snyder said. \nBecause of this soul-soothing quality, she wishes that more departments would take advantage of the services Hilltop has to offer.\n"I just want people to come up and hang out more," Figueiredo said. "It's an oasis on the outset of campus ... there's not another place like Hilltop." \nHilltop is open to the public from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Tours are available and no appointment is required. For more information on Hilltop Garden and Nature Center, upcoming events or volunteer information, visit www.indiana.edu/~hilltop, e-mail hilltop@indiana.edu or call 855-2799.