Yamaha Volunteers join KNB, White Oak Elementary in Garden Bed Project
Pictured above: White Oak Elementary teacher and Garden Club sponsor Kellie Gustke and a White Oak Elementary student work together on one of the new garden beds.
From Special Reports
In an inspiring display of community partnership and environmental education, 23 volunteers from Yamaha worked alongside Keep Newnan Beautiful and White Oak Elementary students to install new garden beds at the school.
The garden installation project, coordinated by Keep Newnan Beautiful at the request of White Oak Elementary teacher and Garden Club sponsor Kellie Gustke, aims to promote hands-on learning and environmental stewardship among students.
The event brought together Yamaha volunteers and enthusiastic students, who eagerly participated by helping to dump fresh compost into the garden beds. The compost, generously donated by Newnan Utilities, is an essential component of the new gardens, which are designed to serve as a living classroom for White Oak Elementary’s students. This hands-on experience enables students to learn about sustainable gardening practices, ecosystem interactions, and the importance of environmental responsibility in a direct and meaningful way.
“One of my favorite statements at Yamaha is ‘We borrow spaces from nature to offer Kando to our customers,’” said Jason Broshear, Division Manager of Corporate Planning and Sustainability at Yamaha. “Kando is the deep satisfaction and intense excitement that we experience when we encounter something of exceptional value. So, nature is an important stakeholder for Yamaha. Building gardens in schools helps us do just this. It allows us to help connect the students to nature and emphasizes the importance of preservation. Today’s build was a fun way to connect our staff with the school; they were super excited to see the positive impact of our sustainability program throughout the community.”
Page Beckwith, Director of Keep Newnan Beautiful, praised the community collaboration: “We are so grateful to Yamaha, Newnan Utilities, and the dedicated volunteers who made this garden installation possible. This project is a great example of community collaboration to create sustainable, educational spaces that benefit our students and our environment.”
White Oak Elementary Assistant Principal Keri Davis also emphasized the educational benefits of the new gardens: “This garden will be a tremendous resource for our students, allowing them to learn through real-life, hands-on experiences. We are thrilled to partner with Yamaha, Newnan Utilities, and Keep Newnan Beautiful in creating this opportunity for our school and look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on our students’ learning.”
The new garden beds will be used for a variety of educational activities led by the school’s Garden Club, encouraging students to cultivate their own plants while learning about biology, environmental science, and the value of healthy ecosystems. Through projects like these, Keep Newnan Beautiful continues to foster partnerships that enrich local schools, support environmental stewardship, and build stronger community connections.
