Radnor students built on existing inter-school ties to restore the garden of the Gesu School in Philadelphia which had been overtaken by weeds and trash. Miss Collins, a first-grade teacher at Gesu who student taught at Radnor last year, initiated the idea.
The core group successfully applied for an EarthForce mini-grant of $250, and with the help of Keystone Gardens, the plant supplier, were able to choose and purchase plants that would attract wildlife, like butterfly bushes. On the day the planting was planned, The entire Radnor Watershed class was bussed to Gesu and teamed up in small groups with the Gesu first graders. Together the students removed trash and weeds as well as planted flowers, shrubs and bushes. Next time Radnor students will have to strategize how to keep little feet from trampling flowers planted by little hands!
“We learned a lot about good plants, how to care for them and we got some good relations with the kids. We went to Skunk Hollow with them and that was fun, too,” said Jordan Jamison. “We had a before and after picture. It was a big difference!” added Hailey Erickson. Fixing and painting a broken fence and planting more areas are part of a future plan students are drawing up for their teacher, Mrs. Ackerman, to keep the garden thriving.