Rainbow the calf visits PS69′s garden, 2010. Photo courtesy Jill Weingarten.

PS69′s garden produce. Photo courtesy Jill Weingarten.

PS69 student weeding in the garden. Photo courtesy Jill Weingarten.

In the summer of 2012, to diversify the garden and create habitat for wildlife, Weingarten added a pond, dogwood shrubs and perennials. Last fall, second graders planted a birch tree and a magnolia tree near the pond, and also planted ten trees around the school’s perimeter with MillionTreesNYC. As the weather warms this Spring, they will plant additional trees and shrubs.

Weingarten says that, since starting PS69’s garden and planting trees, she and her students have noticed more wild visitors including Quaker parrots, starlings, mourning doves, as well as squirrels, butterflies, and “lots of bees.”  Weingarten recently applied to have the school’s garden certified as a wildlife habitat through NWF’s Schoolyard Habitat program.  She will be working with NYC Eco-Schools and ioby to raise the funds needed to enlarge PS69’s pond, add fish, tadpoles, water striders, and dragonflies, and create a drinking source for birds and beneficial insects.

The garden is a constant source of inspiration for Weingarten, who left her career as an advertising agency art director to become a teacher. Weingarten has been able to use her experience and connections in the television industry to get her students to engage with science in new ways. “We pick topics from the science curriculum and teach the children how to write and create animations about them,” she says.  The first animation, about simple machines, stars a wheelbarrow in the leading role – inspired by the wheelbarrow that delivered compost to the garden.  The second animation about the water cycle won the 2012 ASIFA East Excellence in Education Award. For the third, The Food Chain, she enlisted the talents of animator Jose Moldinado and writer Pammy Salmon (who created an episode of PBS’s beloved Martha Speaks television program) to help the kids create story treatments, a script and finally a storyboard.  Students have learned to use animation software to reinforce science concepts.

PS69 students make musical instruments from recycled materials. Photo courtesy Suzanne Robinson.

Students at PS69 will soon be ramping up their energy conservation efforts too. Weingarten currently raises the shades in her classroom to use natural sunlight and makes sure that her students turn off the lights when they leave a room. But the school just received a $500 mini grant from NYC Eco-Schools to implement the Cool School Challenge  - a program that engages schools in practical strategies to save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions school-wide. As part of the program, students perform energy audits of their classrooms and then create a plan to reduce energy use and emissions. Weingarten says that NWF’s Eco-Schools’ program materials and resources have helped her understand how much her school needs to do to reduce waste and conserve resources. “It’s all about students experiencing first-hand how they can impact their environment, and having the tools to combat the serious environmental problems we all face,” she says. Weingarten credits PS69′s Principal, Sheila Durant, with having the vision to nurture and encourage the incorporation of sustainability principles into PS69′s curriculum.  “We’re very appreciative of Principal Durant’s support,” says Weingarten.

Please be sure to tell us about what you’re doing at your school to save energy, recycle, and help wildlife!  Register to become an Eco-School and take advantage of NWF Eco-Schools’ free online resources to green your school!

At the University of Wisconsin Madison, Slow Food UW opens a cafe once per week, offering fresh, local, homemade lunch options. Image credit Amy Verhey.

The 2012 additions to the database come at a time when 661 college and university presidents have signed the Climate Commitment, and 476 of those institutions have Climate Action Plans, committing to reducing carbon emissions and addressing sustainability at all levels of campus operations. This year’s case studies represent institutions that have been practicing campus greening for a substantial amount of time, as well as campuses that are just getting started; thus the projects described span the spectrum, from the installation of solar arrays to the distribution of travel mugs to freshmen. The case study database, searchable by year, state, topic or institution, allows visitors to learn from their peers and colleagues–to gain perspective and fresh ideas for campus sustainability, and to promote solutions to common obstacles along the road to green.

University of New England studied the feasibility of providing a river ferry service for commuters to the Biddeford Campus of UNE across the Saco River. Image credit Dick Buhr.

View the list of campuses that submitted case studies

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be highlighting select campus sustainability projects on the blog, so keep checking back!

Have you found inspiration from our case study database? What is your favorite project, and why? 

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