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Schoolyard Greening
The Parks & People Foundation (Parks & People) partners with developers such as the Maryland Port Administration (MPA) as part of the Schoolyard Greening Initiative Program for Baltimore City Public Schools. This initiative is an asphalt removal and schoolyard greening program approved by the Baltimore City Public School System. Based upon developer storm water mitigation requirements, Parks & People works with city agencies such as the Departments of Public Works and Planning to identify schools with yards consisting of significant amounts of asphalt. Parks & People then provides site recommendations to interested developers, who then remove the asphalt and replace it with greenscapes consisting of grass and trees. To assist the school and neighborhood communities in designing their new schoolyard, Parks & People’s environmental education staff conducts lessons on why schoolyard greening is beneficial to local and Chesapeake Bay Watershed environments and assist with creating a vision for the future greening of the new open space.
Through the MPA partnership, Parks & People’s Community Forestry staff establishes a landscape maintenance program with the students and teachers that will organize and coordinate school based maintenance for up to four years after the schoolyard installation. The planning process culminates with a schoolyard project day where school students, teachers, staff and community residents work side by side with Parks & People staff and volunteers to plant trees, install the schoolyard habitat gardens, repair playground equipment and complete other beautification projects.
For groups interested in high-impact community service events, we need your help! Parks & People regularly coordinates meaningful service projects for large and small corporate, student and volunteer groups. Please e-mail Kari Smith or call her at 410-448-5663, ext. 109, for more information.
Below are descriptions of Schoolyard Greening Projects conducted in the fall of 2006. Each project was a huge success due to the hard work and dedication of our corporate sponsors, the students and staff at each school, and neighborhood community volunteers.
Franklin Square Elementary School
1.1 acres of asphalt removed by the Maryland Port Administration
In September, 2006, over 200 volunteers from mid-Atlantic Home Depot stores, the Franklin Square community, and Franklin Square Elementary School completed the final phase of the greening of Franklin Square Elementary School. Here’s what a group of hard working volunteers, students, and community members completed on that day:
- Planted 24 trees
- Built 3 benches
- Weeded and added native trees and shrubs to an existing outdoor reading circle
- Installed 100 square feet of garden habitat, designed by Franklin Square students
- Planted a total of 200 perennials and shrubs
Benjamin Franklin Junior High School
3.09 acres of asphalt removed by the Maryland Port Administration
In early October, 2006, over 50 volunteers from HSBC Beneficial alongside students and staff completed the greening of Benjamin Franklin Junior High School. On a chilly Saturday morning, 30 students were the first ones to arrive and some of the last to leave. Here’s what they accomplished:
- Planted 24 VERY BIG native trees
- Installed 1 bird garden, designed by Benjamin Franklin students
- Installed 1 butterfly garden, designed by Benjamin Franklin students
- Built and install 8 raised garden beds, including 2 ‘School Colors’ flower gardens
- Planted a total of 130 perennials and shrubs
- Spread 1 acre of grass seed
Gilmor-Edison Elementary School
½ acre of asphalt removed by the Department of Public Works
In late October, 2006, 60 volunteers from Daimler-Chrysler Financial Center came to Gilmor-Edison Elementary School to work with students and staff over two days and made an amazing impact!
- Constructed 1 gazebo
- Built 16 wooden benches
- Installed 1 bluestone reading circle
- Planted 8 native trees
- Beautified an existing sensory garden designed by students
- Installed 4 gardens, including 1 rain garden and 1 native plant garden
- Planted a total of 100 perennials and shrubs
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