The 2021 EDI Fellows went to Kiptopeke for their first summer adventure.  Here is Caitlin Johnson, describing our second day.  

At 7:30am on Monday, we ate breakfast, which consisted of cereal with almond milk, along with several other options: a granola bar or banana, and orange juice or water.  We finalized our designs for our planters and focused primarily on the shopping list for the project. We left for the hardware store at 8’oclock and purchased materials: wood, screws, plumbing components, waterproof seals for the wood, etc.  Park Ranger Bill met us at the OBS hardware store at 10am and then showed us around town for thirty minutes to help us gain a feel for the community. We stopped by Kiptopeke Elementary School and later stopped by the Ebenezer AME Church, both of which will be recipients of our planters.

We returned to Kiptopeke State Park and met Rangers Stan and August, who helped us with using joinery tools to construct the plant boxes. Park Ranger Stan helped us handle tools and measuring, and he also assisted in improving our structural support in the designs. AJ, Keon, Christopher, and Charlie settled on a hexagon design: two trapezoids which together form a single hexagon. The boys wanted to be able to transport it easily and hold as many plants as possible. Olivia and I decided to make a stair-like design, with plumbing to bring rain water to the plants and several layers to provide a better view of the plants as well. We ate lunch there around noon, and by 5:50pm, we headed back to the cabin to prepare dinner and reflect on Sunday and Monday.