Actors From 'Veep' & 'House Of Cards' Get Their Hands Dirty With Local Students
BALTIMORE (WJZ)—Actors from two hit shows shot right here in Baltimore team up with local students for a gardening session.
Monique Griego has more on how "Veep" and "House of Cards" got involved with an environmental program.
The program teaches kids all about the environment and how to save it. Of course, a little celebrity help never hurts.
"So today is part of Operation Strawberries and we are going to dance the weeds into a new home."
Students from Curtis Bay Elementary/Middle School ditch the conventional classroom and take their learning outdoors. Tuesday, they and their teachers will get down and dirty as part of the Nature Works Everywhere gardens program.
"When we come out here we can walk around, see different things, see different kinds of plants," said Brande Harrel, seventh-grader.
The program, from the Nature Conservancy, teaches kids about the environment and how to take care of it.
But mixed in with them were some very high-profile gardeners. Stars from HBO's "Veep" and Netflix's "House of Cards," both shot partly in Baltimore, came out to help the kids build their garden.
"It's so great just to kind of be out here working in the dirt with a bunch of kids, teaching them. I say teaching them, but these kids knew a lot!" said Michael Kelly, "House of Cards" actor.
"They're making the whole activity fun. When my dad was like 'Mow the grass,' I was like 'Ugh!'" said Tony Hale, "Veep" actor.
Organizers hope the hands-on approach makes the lesson stick.
"This next generation is going to inherit a pretty big challenge, which is helping to keep these natural systems we all depend on healthy and productive, so we're giving them the tools to do that," said one.
So far the kids seem to be loving it and learning a lot.
"If we don't have trees and stuff, then we won't have oxygen or nothing to eat," said Nathaniel Wilkens, seventh-grader.
"Don't litter. We gotta take care of the Earth. If we don't take care of the Earth, we'll be living in a bad planet," Harrel said.
Right now the nature program is currently in 12 Baltimore schools, but they hope to expand it nationwide.
In addition to the elementary kids, there were also students from Ben Franklin High School.
