Woman in red shirt beside shaded gravel path
Greenspace volunteer Adeli D. spoke about caring for the Saltonstall and Lloyd community garden in New Haven, Connecticut, in a story from the New Haven Urban Resources Initiative. Photo by Rich Press.

This step can be done at home.

The gardener can be a family member, neighbor, teacher, or other adult. They can also be a peer, with permission from the teacher and the gardener’s parents or guardians.

If you have trouble identifying a gardener, contact local garden clubs and community gardens to see if any members would like to participate in an interview.

Once you have each selected a gardener to interview, schedule an appointment with the person to conduct the interview.

Next, do some background research so you can go into the interview feeling prepared. Consider questions like:

  • What can you find out about the time period they grew up in?
  • Did any major historical events take place?
  • What was their neighborhood like ten or twenty or thirty years ago?
  • If they emigrated from a different country, what can you learn about that country?

Previous: Step 1: Introduction to Oral History

Next: Step 3: Develop Questions