With guidance from the members of the Sandy Point Neighborhood Association (SPNA), students at Savin Rock Community School are taking action to restore nature in their school garden. Through a $500 grant from the Wild Ones’ Lorrie Otto Seeds for Education Grant Program, students and SPNA members are planting a native garden at the entrance to the school.
The garden will provide habitat for pollinators, songbirds, and other wildlife as students learn first-hand how native plants help protect biodiversity, improve water and air quality, and build climate resilience.
Wild Ones’ vision is native plants and natural landscapes in every community, and programs like Seeds for Education help make that vision a reality by supporting youth-led projects that restore habitat while nurturing the next generation of environmental stewards.
The Seeds for Education program honors Lorrie Otto, who pioneered the school garden movement in the Milwaukee area in the 1970s. For nearly 30 years, Wild Ones has awarded Seeds for Education grants to organizations for acquiring native plants and seeds for outdoor learning areas that directly engage youth in planning, planting, and caring for native gardens.
Last July at Savin Rock Community School, volunteers from SPNA and Vertical Church removed overgrown, unattractive plants from the school’s front garden and covered the area with cardboard, which was donated by Marcus Paper Company, and wood chips, which were donated by Bobby L Tree Service.
In January, SPNA members worked with students at the school on a winter seed sowing project to begin growing plants that will be moved into the garden in the spring. As the weather gets warmer, students, school staff, and SPNA volunteers will add native plants to the 30’ x 35’ area, creating a welcoming entrance to the school building as well as an outdoor classroom area for the community to enjoy.
“We are so excited to take the lead on this project,” said Kathie Hebert, President of the Sandy Point Neighborhood Association. “Mr. Hunt, the principal, has been very welcoming, and we look forward to working with the students and Ms. Bergeron, their science teacher. This Wild Ones grant will be very helpful in purchasing the supplies we need.”
For more information about the Sandy Point Neighborhood Association, visit sandypointneighbors.org or email sandypointneighbors@gmail.com.
“We are grateful to have received so much support from the community for this beautification project. The students and staff at Savin Rock Community School deserve a welcoming entrance to their school building, and this garden can also serve as an outdoor classroom where the students can learn about the importance of native plants and pollinators,” said Bonnie Posick, secretary of the SPNA.
She said other projects are planned for the group over the next several months, including a grant through a Community Development Block Grant for a rain barrel pilot project.