2021 WCCD School & Community Habitat Grant Awardee Report:
Ypsilanti International Elementary School (YIES)
Learning Garden
We received an application for the 2021 School & Community Habitat Grant to install a "Learning Garden" at the Ypsilanti International Elementary School (YIES). Natalie Sampson and Emily Wingfield, both parents of young students, organized the plan and built support with the YIES PTO, Ypsilanti Schools Garden Coordinator, faculty, staff and the principal. It certainly helped that they both brought their skills to the project, Natalie with grant writing and Emily with landscape architecture. Having previously purchased pollinator garden kits from the WCCD plant sales, they took it upon themselves to take on a garden project for the school and community to engage with and enjoy.
Coming out of the remote learning period of COVID-19, they sought to reemerge and create a space for sustaining community with new opportunities for students to engage more deeply with their physical and social environment, reconnecting with their 2021-2022 motto: “stronger together”. Their project vision Emily drafted a design plan for a roughly 10 by 15 foot space, where they hoped to have "Pollinator Cafe" that would allow for learning opportunities to be presented by the teachers and eventually to include places to sit, vegetable gardens, and nature based art installations, while also garnering the respect and appreciation from the community beyond the school.
They were awarded the grant and started working with David M. of PlantWise LLC, who assisted by elaborating on the draft design with species recommendations and a layout, as well as site preparation and planting plans. The group followed the site preparations plans in the fall with the community support, and received and installed the plans in spring of 2022. It's amazing how much work can go into a small space, but with good design and planning, it's equally amazing the incalculable benefits that the garden will provide to the school and natural community for years to come.
Coming out of the remote learning period of COVID-19, they sought to reemerge and create a space for sustaining community with new opportunities for students to engage more deeply with their physical and social environment, reconnecting with their 2021-2022 motto: “stronger together”. Their project vision Emily drafted a design plan for a roughly 10 by 15 foot space, where they hoped to have "Pollinator Cafe" that would allow for learning opportunities to be presented by the teachers and eventually to include places to sit, vegetable gardens, and nature based art installations, while also garnering the respect and appreciation from the community beyond the school.
They were awarded the grant and started working with David M. of PlantWise LLC, who assisted by elaborating on the draft design with species recommendations and a layout, as well as site preparation and planting plans. The group followed the site preparations plans in the fall with the community support, and received and installed the plans in spring of 2022. It's amazing how much work can go into a small space, but with good design and planning, it's equally amazing the incalculable benefits that the garden will provide to the school and natural community for years to come.
Emily W drafted their initial "Pollinator Cafe" learning garden design plan.
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David M, of PlantWise, drew upon the intial design and recommended plantings of species that would thrive best in the site conditions.
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WCCD School & Community Habitat Grant - Final Project Report
by Natalie Sampson
7/22/2022
The YIES Learning Garden reflects our school’s core values and beliefs by creating a space for sustaining our community with new opportunities for students to engage more deeply with their physical and social environment. This project feels particularly timely as we work to re-emerge from the difficulties of COVID-19 and remote learning formats. This garden is one way to reconnect in person stronger together. Based on a schoolwide survey, the garden was designed and sited based on feedback from faculty and staff, with support from the PTO, Ypsilanti Garden Coordinator, and consultation with Plantwise through our WCCD School and Community Habitat Grant.
by Natalie Sampson
7/22/2022
The YIES Learning Garden reflects our school’s core values and beliefs by creating a space for sustaining our community with new opportunities for students to engage more deeply with their physical and social environment. This project feels particularly timely as we work to re-emerge from the difficulties of COVID-19 and remote learning formats. This garden is one way to reconnect in person stronger together. Based on a schoolwide survey, the garden was designed and sited based on feedback from faculty and staff, with support from the PTO, Ypsilanti Garden Coordinator, and consultation with Plantwise through our WCCD School and Community Habitat Grant.
The "Before" shot. The Learning Garden organizers carefully selected a site that would replace lawn, while also easily accessible to enjoy and maintain.
Installation
In Fall 2021, several families came to YIES on a weekend morning (10/23) to prep the site. We cleared the space of weeds and a few bushes, laid cardboard and mulch, and installed a ‘Coming Soon’ sign. Then, on the day before the end of the 2021-2022 school year (June 9), we had a larger garden workday party to plant the site and gussy it up with materials gathered from community members and teachers (e.g., trellis, painted rocks, a small fence barrier). It was a lovely sight to welcome students on their last day of school the next morning.
Plan for the first year
The YIES Learning Garden leadership team established a SignUpGenius to establish a summer maintenance plan, and 4-5 families visit the garden on a weekly schedule to weed and water in the evenings. Also, YCS’s Garden Coordinator is keeping an eye on the site with regular
check-ins.
Before the school year starts, we intend to share an email with teachers about the garden, the plants growing there, and their various powers as pollinators, water managers, etc. We will encourage them to engage with the site as they see fit and add artistic features.
Challenges
We kept plans for the YIES Learning Garden somewhat simple to start. Many teachers have had ideas for nature-based learning spaces, food gardens, edible forests in the nearby park, and more. We do not necessarily have the capacity at this time to expand the space or create
new spaces. Additional funding, volunteer and staff time would be necessary.
In sharing updates with teachers, we would like to include standards-based curriculum they can use to engage with the space. We are looking for university students, experts, and online resources to make integration into the YIES curriculum feasible.
The YIES Learning Garden leadership team established a SignUpGenius to establish a summer maintenance plan, and 4-5 families visit the garden on a weekly schedule to weed and water in the evenings. Also, YCS’s Garden Coordinator is keeping an eye on the site with regular
check-ins.
Before the school year starts, we intend to share an email with teachers about the garden, the plants growing there, and their various powers as pollinators, water managers, etc. We will encourage them to engage with the site as they see fit and add artistic features.
Challenges
We kept plans for the YIES Learning Garden somewhat simple to start. Many teachers have had ideas for nature-based learning spaces, food gardens, edible forests in the nearby park, and more. We do not necessarily have the capacity at this time to expand the space or create
new spaces. Additional funding, volunteer and staff time would be necessary.
In sharing updates with teachers, we would like to include standards-based curriculum they can use to engage with the space. We are looking for university students, experts, and online resources to make integration into the YIES curriculum feasible.
