Inuvik (July 04/03) - A group of Inuvik children are learning that vegetables are more than just a side dish mom is always trying to get them to eat.

The SAMs garden club was started by teachers at the school two years ago, but when teachers left for the summer, the club fizzled until school volunteer Ruth Wright revived the club this spring.

"I looked next door to my plot and I thought, 'It's not going to be vacant again this year,'" Wright said.

She sought out the help of others at the school to get the club going again, but most were busy with their curriculum and other events so she started on her own.

"It took me about a week or two to get started; writing notes home for parents' signatures on permission slips," she said.

The interest was overwhelming at first, she said, with 48 kids joining on the first week.

The kids have their own plot at the Inuvik Community Greenhouse, but also help out with tending other plots while people are out of town.

When the group started on their plot, Wright said some found the work a bit heavy at first.

"We started by sifting all the soil and that was hard work, so a few of them dropped off, but they've started coming back now that things are growing," she said.

She has rules in the club, but no one will be kicked out.

"If they have a speck of interest, by golly, they're going to learn," Wright laughs.

Once their garden plot was seeded, Wright brought some starter plants form her home and the club learned about transplanting, making cuttings and how to divide root systems.

One part of the club's mission is to grow all their own vegetables to make a stew, zucchini for bread, cucumbers and nasturtiums for a salad and an herb garden.

"We got to the spinach and they said, 'I don't wanna grow spinach,' but I told them it's very good in salads," she said.

Some businesses have bought plants from the club and the kids learned a bit about landscaping by planting at the site.

The club is also compiling a herbarium -- a collection of plants, flowers and herbs native to the area. They dry and press the plants into a book, with each plant name written underneath. They will give the book to the school once it's finished.

"If we get set up to do this every year, every child should be able to identify plants around here," she said.

As well as understanding the different types of plants, the kids are gaining a greater appreciation of vegetables as something more than a side dish they don't want to eat.

Since the beginning, the class was so enthusiastic Wright had to reign them in a bit.

"They come in and they want to water everything," Wright said.

During the summer months, the hours will change from afternoons to mornings or evenings and in addition to gardening, the group will also be doing some arts and crafts.

Wright says the children have a real enthusiasm for gardening and would like to see that stay with them into adulthood.

"I hope their future houses will be blooming all over," she said.