The PS 68 Garden of Unity - Native Plant Project

In May, 2017 we established "The PS 68 Garden of Unity"  when we installed 11 raised beds and taught our students from Pre-Kinder to 5th grade the fundamentals of planting, cultivating and harvesting their own vegetables.  Both the students and teachers had fun and learned much about the science of urban agriculture.  In terms of the quality of the harvest, this first year was a success.  From this success we will continue to grow The PS 68 Garden of Unity.  Early this fall we will plant 4 new apple trees and 1 blackberry bush.

The project for which we're seeking funding for is The PS 68 Garden of Unity - Native Plant Project.   With this project we will construct 6 planting boxes, fill them with fresh compost and then install specific native plants; already establishedplants  and those from seed. Before selecting the native plants we will consult with the botanists at Bronx Green-Up/New York Botanical Garden and The Bronx River Alliance.  We intend to place the native plants in our garden before the first frost, in order for the new plants to take firm root in their new home and be well-positioned for substantial growth come the spring.

1.  Offer the students lessons on the importance and benefits of establishing healthy pollinator habitats.

2.  Consult with scientists at Bronx Green-Up/NYBG and Bronx River Alliance to select  plants that are best possible candidates for our Pollinator Garden.

3.  Review plant list with staff, parents, but especially students.  Make sure that at least some of the plants chosen come from the students.

4.  Pickup lumber, soil/compost and native plants.  Schedule a workday to establish the pollinator garden.  Ask for 15 staff volunteers, parents and students to construct the planting boxes, fill with compost and install the native plants.

5.  Keep plants sufficiently hydrated and monitor plant health as we go into winter.

Benefits to the Natural Environment and Wildlife:  Science has made it clear to us.  Pollinating plants and invertebrates have spent the last 100 million years adapting to each other and producing this incredibly lush and diverse habitat that humans have benefited from.  Humans, in turn, have disrupted or eradicated much of that habitat.  Now if humans expect to survive on this planet, we need to put back that vital pollinator habitat.  The PS 68 Garden of Unity - Native Plant Project is just one small step in the restoration of that vital pollinator habitat.

Benefits to the PS 68 Student Community:  The students will directly learn - "If they expect to grow healthy crops, they will need to have plants that attract pollinators.  The pollinator garden will provide an on-campus site for many STEM-related explorations that the children can engage in. "How do the pollinators affect the quality of our crops?" and "How has the the Native Plant Garden affected the pollinator population at PS 68?" are only a few examples of student explorations.

Benefits to the overall community:  While we are establishing our pollinator garden at PS 68 we are simultaneously establishing a working relationship with officials from Seton Falls Park, a NYC public park one block south of PS 68.  We are negotiating permission to have our students plant natives at Seton Falls.  We will also establish relationships with homeowners and other institutions in the community, and encourage the installation of native plants in the Wakefield Community.  We are anticipating the establishment of "The Monticello Ave. Migrating Bird Corridor" will become a haven for birds as they move north or south.