Eco-Schools: From Asphalt to Ecosystem, A Renovation of the P.S. 110 Schoolyard

Written by in Education and Activism

By P.S. 110 Sustainability Coach, Fran Agnone

“You should take care of the plants because they are delicate and they are living things.”  –Julia, 1st grader

This time last year, the Monitor Street Schoolyard at P.S. 110 was an asphalt lot, surrounded by a chain linked fence and courtyard walls. Today, the lot is not empty, but filled with pines, blueberry bushes and sleepy perennials.  In the spring, daffodils will greet us with their yellow blooms. Native vines will begin snaking up the fences as a living wall while also providing habitat and food for local wildlife. This new space is also meant for playing and learning. Research shows that when children spend time playing outside, they can improve their eyesight, reduce their level of stress, and increase their performance on tests.

This space’s transition comes to us from the good folks at Alive Structures, the Greenpoint landscaping business responsible for the creation of the Kingsland Wildflowers Rooftop Garden, and has been made possible through funding from the Greenpoint Community Environmental Fund.

2nd grade students make observations about the native plants growing in their new schoolyard garden.

As the roots settle in to their containers, so do the ideas of what outdoor activities are possible in this renovated space.

(Left) Students work together building with large outdoor blocks. (Right) Playing tag using the planters as hiding spots.

Here are some voices from Ms. Fazio’s first-grade class reflecting on their time in the outdoor space:

Julia, 6 years old: “The sandbox is really fun because you can search for treasures from plants, like pieces of bark and leaves. I like them because they are a part of nature. And I like looking at nature.”

Danny, 6 years old: “I like the garden because I like to see the trees, some are going to grow food. In Science class we went outside and I saw a blueberry had fallen in the dirt. I want to eat them when they grow again!”

Amaya, 6 years old: “I was playing tag. It was fun because there was no base, you could just hide behind the planters. I also just like looking at the plants.”

This outdoor space offers students, staff and community members a chance to detach from the screens that have come to dominate so much of our days and connect with a garden. Next time you are in the McGolrick Park Area, come check out the space. Stop to admire the plants, many of which are labeled with species names. The garden is open to the public after school hours and on the weekends until dusk. For more information, or if you would like to be involved with its maintenance, contact Tiffaney McCannon, the Garden Coordinator, via email:  [email protected]

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