Pittsburgh South Hills Students Participate in Garden Cleanup
On November 17th, Pittsburgh South Hills students traded in their pens and papers for gloves and shovels to join the greening efforts at their school.
Students worked in teams to complete a variety of tasks, including weeding, trimming, and root removal.
Under the guidance of science teacher Bethany Foster-Wilhelm, approximately 30 students worked to clean up the garden bed adjacent to the main entrance. They were assisted by staff from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) who provided tools and other materials for the cleanup.
The students, a combination of Life Skills and 6th grade classes, were proud that their efforts served to benefit both their school and the local community. “Working on the garden was a good experience, and it felt good that I knew I was helping the community,” said 6th grader Stephen Schwartz. Classmate Adam Tonry added, “It felt like I was making a difference.”
The students also welcomed the chance to go outdoors for some physical activity. “It was wonderful,” stated Erin Ramsey. “I’d do it any day.” Nicole Nguyen agreed, “Working in the garden was a great opportunity. It was amazing.” An Eagle Scouts project is currently in the works to add new plants to the tidied-up garden bed.
In addition to the cleanup, new trees were planted in the courtyard behind the school, replacing existing trees that were in poor or dying conditions. The added greenery at South Hills is part of the WPC’s School Grounds Greening Project, a partnership of WPC, Grable Foundation and Pittsburgh Public Schools to add low-maintenance, sustainable greenery to each public school in the district by 2011.
Garvey Q., Kristin S., Adam T., Pedro M., Nick M. and Dylan D. are assisted by Ms. Foster-Wilhelm in gathering up weeds and leaves for bagging and disposal.6th grader India W. prunes a lilac bush that will remain in the beds after the clean up.
6th grader India W. prunes a lilac bush that will remain in the beds after the clean up.
Tags: Grable Foundation, green schools, Pittsburgh South Hills, School Grounds Greening Project, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy