Directory
of
School Yard Enhancements for Learning in
Northern Virginia
and DC
This directory is taken from information submitted in a Survey of Schoolyard Lessons that was undertaken by Mary L. Pike as part of an independent study for her Master’s in Applied Healing Arts, from the Tai Sophia Institute. It has been augmented by information from attendees of the Connecting Kids with Nature: Using the Outdoors as a Classroom Conference, April 18, 2009. It also contains a small amount of information from a networking meeting in early 2008 and an earlier survey conducted by Elenor Hodges for Arlingtonians for a Cleaner Environment. You are encouraged to contact the school directly for additional information or to arrange a visit.
Table of Contents
Alexandria City Public Schools………………………………………………1
Arlington County Public Schools……………………………………………..2
District of Columbia Public Schools……………………………………...…..3
Fairfax County Public Schools………………………………………………..3
Falls Church Public Schools………………………………………………….7
Prince William County Public Schools……………………………………….7
Other/Private Schools………………………………………………………...7
SchoolyardGarden Information in a Graph Format.....………………………8
I express my gratitude to those who filled out the survey and shared what they are doing in their schoolyards to connect their students with nature. I applaud these teachers, principles, parents and other volunteers who make the extra effort to insure that their students have the opportunity to experience first-hand what they are learning in their classrooms and have the chance to participate in those teachable moments that could never occur inside.
Mary L. Pike 4/18/2009
1
ALEXANDRIA PUBLIC
Barrett Elementary
HerbGarden; ButterflyGarden; Journey North Tulip Garden;VegetableGarden; NWF Certified; Classroom Seating; SensesGarden.
Wendy Sparrow, Alexandria Public Schools Habitat Coordinator ()
Cora Kelly Elementary
Pond; Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Journey North Tulip Garden;Petter Rabbit; Amphitheater; Vegetable Garden; NWF Certified; Weather Station; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating; Composting/Recycling; Rainbarrels.
Wendy Sparrow, Alexandria Public Schools Habitat Coordinator ()
George Mason Elementary
ButterflyGarden; JourneyNorthTulipGarden;VegetableGarden; Classroom Seating; Composting/Recycling; Rainbarrels.
Wendy Sparrow, Alexandria Public Schools Habitat Coordinator ()
George Washington Junior High
ButterflyGarden; JourneyNorthTulipGarden;Flower Garden.
Karyn Freeman, Science Teacher ()
Wendy Sparrow, Alexandria Public Schools Habitat Coordinator ()
Jefferson Houston Elementary
JourneyNorthTulipGarden;VegetableGarden; Flower Garden; Mural.
Wendy Sparrow, Alexandria Public Schools Habitat Coordinator ()
John Adams Elementary
VegetableGarden; NWF Certified; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating; Courtyard.
Wendy Sparrow, Alexandria Public Schools Habitat Coordinator ()
Lyle-Crouch Elementary
ButterflyGarden; JourneyNorthTulipGarden;VegetableGarden; Classroom Seating; ThreeSistersGarden.
Wendy Sparrow, Alexandria Public Schools Habitat Coordinator ()
Maury Elementary
ButterflyGarden; Tree Arbor; Journey North Tulip Garden;VegetableGarden; Classroom Seating; Composting/Recycling; Rainbarrels.
Wendy Sparrow, Alexandria Public Schools Habitat Coordinator ()
McArthur Elementary
ButterflyGarden; Journey North Tulip Garden;Amphitheater; VegetableGarden; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating; NativePlantGarden.
Wendy Sparrow, Alexandria Public Schools Habitat Coordinator ()
Mt.Vernon Elementary
ButterflyGarden; Greenhouse; VegetableGarden; Composting/Recycling.
Wendy Sparrow, Alexandria Public Schools Habitat Coordinator ()
Polk Elementary
Pond; ButterflyGarden; Journey North Tulip Garden;VegetableGarden; NWF Certified; Classroom Seating.
Wendy Sparrow, Alexandria Public Schools Habitat Coordinator ()
Ramsey Elementary
Butterfly Garden; Colonial American Garden; Journey North Tulip Garden;Peter Rabbit; Nature Trail; Vegetable Garden; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating; Composting/Recycling;
Wendy Sparrow, Alexandria Public Schools Habitat Coordinator ()
TC WilliamsHigh School
HerbGarden; VegetableGarden; Flower Garden; Composting/Recycling.
Wendy Sparrow, Alexandria Public Schools Habitat Coordinator ()
ARLINGTONCOUNTYPUBLIC
ArlingtonScienceFocusSchool,
Tree Arbor; Vegetable Garden; NWF Certified; Herb Garden; Native Plant Garden; Pond; Weather Station; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area;Composting/Recycling.
Leslie Lyon,Federal Wildlife Habitat Volunteer-seasonal caretaker of gardens/pond. ()
Arlington Traditional Elementary
Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Colonial America Garden; Vegetable Garden; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area; Rain Garden. Also use Lacey Woods/Bon Air Parks.
Mary Van Dyke, Volunteer ()
Ashlawn Elementary
Butterfly garden; ColonialAmericanGarden; JourneyNorthTulipGarden; Rock Garden; ABCGarden; Classroom Seating Area; Pond; Composting.
Barcroft Elementary
Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Journey North Tulip Garden; Amphitheater; Vegetable Garden; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area. Also use Long BranchNatureCenter and GreenSpringsGardenPark.
Susan DuBois, parent volunteer ()
Barrett Elementary
WildflowerGarden; ButterflyGarden; PeaceGarden with Trees.
Claremont Elementary
ButterflyGarden;VegetableGarden; Flower Garden; NWF certified; Pond.
Ofelia McKenzie, Science Teacher--1st, 3rd, and 5th ()
Francis Scott Key Elementary
We are currently in the process of making improvements to our schoolyard for learning and natural play areas. This spring I led an Earth Force watershed study class after school with 5th grades. We used a nearby stream, as well as Windy Run for testing. ButterflyGarden; ColonialAmericaGarden; JourneyNorthTulipGarden; VegetableGarden; NWF Certified.
Kate Van Slyck, PTA Schoolyard Committee Chair ()
Glebe Elementary
Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Journey North Tulip Garden; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area;Composting/Recycling.
Renee Bayes, Chair Garden Therapy, RockSpringGarden Club ()
Amy Slavin, Teacher ()
HB Woodlawn
Classroom Seating Area-- outdoor whiteboard. Also we work on the fields a lot, keeping grass on them despite heavy use.
Jamestown Elementary
HerbGarden; JourneyNorthTulipGarden; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area; Composting/Recycling.
McKinley Elementary
VegetableGarden; Wildlife Habitat; Raised Beds; Classroom Seating Area
NottinghamElementary School
Pond; Wetland Habitat; Butterfly Garden; Peter Rabbit Garden; Amphitheater; Weather Station; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area.
Patrick Henry Elementary
Pond; Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Colonial America Garden; Journey North Tulip Garden; Vegetable Garden; NWF Certified; Flower Garden; Composting/Recycling; Middle Eastern Garden; Pumpkin Patch..Designed, planted, and maintain the butterfly garden at the WalterReedCommunity Center. We do water testing at AlcovaPark.
Susan Spranger, Exemplary Project Coordinator--preK-5 ()
TaylorElementary School
Taylor Elementary has been working to enhance outdoor learning and make room for wildlife and just last year the 15 acres of school ground became certified as a NWF Wildlife Habitat. This has been a group effort to plant native plants, add a rain garden, build and monitor nestboxes with PTA funds, Virginia Bluebird Society grants, hands-on student projects, and family and scout participation. Virginia Bluebird Society has a series of nestboxes called a bluebird trail. Adjacent forest, stream (Donaldson Run), and nature trails in Zachary Taylor park. Stream; Butterfly Garden; Tree Arbor; Nature Trail; NWF Certified; Weather Station; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating; Rain Garden; Composting/Recycling.
Teenage Parenting Program,
(Currently atSyphax Academic building; moving July 2009 to Reed School)
We have a small garden outside next to the parking lot. We will be expanding and moving our garden this summer. VegetableGarden;Composting/Recycling.
Mary Clendenning, Science Teacher, all high school grades ()
Tuckahoe Elementary
Tuckahoe has seven outdoor classrooms and also uses the adjacent TuckahoePark for outdoor learning.Stream; Wetland Habitat; Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Colonial America Garden; Journey North Tulip Garden; Peter Rabbit Garden; Nature Trail; Greenhouse; Amphitheater; Vegetable Garden; NWF Certified; Weather Station; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area;Composting/Recycling; Greek Pavilion; Friendship Garden with memorial brick patio; use of natural play materials on playground -- mulch mountains, logs, and cobb wall. See:
Mary McLean,Outdoor Learning Coordinator--Pre-K through 5th
()
WilliamsburgMiddle School
Courtyard in school landscaped with pond, raised stream bed. Plants include trees and native and non-native species. Wildlife habitat includes three or four turtles. Stream; Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Vegetable Garden; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area; Rain Garden; Grow Out Station for Tree Seedlings.
Mary Van Dyke, Parent volunteer: Courtyard Keepers Club ()
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
John Eaton Elementary
We partnered with Environmental Concern last year to create a schoolyard habitat. Our focus was to prevent erosion and plant indigenous plants. ButterflyGarden;Nature trail;Flower Garden;Classroom Seating Area.
Susan K. Coti,Classroom teacher/Co-Science Chair ()
For a list of more than 50 school gardens in DC, see:
FAIRFAXCOUNTYPUBLIC
Annandale Terrace Elementary
ButterflyGarden; VegetableGarden; Classroom Seating Area; NativePlantGarden; Sunflower House. Use OssianHallPark
Susan Lozinyak, Garden coordinator/interesession teacher ()
Bailey's Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences
Pond; Butterfly Garden; Journey North Tulip Garden; Nature trail; Vegetable Garden; NWF Certified; Weather Station; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area; Composting/Recycling. Also use HiddenOaksPark.
Anne Rosenbaum, Outdoor Science Specialist--Pre-K - 5th ()
Chesterbrook Elementary
Pond; HerbGarden; ButterflyGarden; NWF Certified; Weather Station; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area.
Bob Fuqua, Principal ()
Clermont Elementary
Pond; HerbGarden; ButterflyGarden; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area; Composting/Recycling.
Charlie Mills, Teacher--Second Grade ()
Clifton Elementary
ButterflyGarden; ColonialAmericaGarden; VegetableGarden; Flower Garden; Composting/Recycling.
Arthur Polton, Principal ()
Colvin Run Elementary
Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Journey North Tulip Garden;Amphitheater;Vegetable Garden; NWF Certified; Flower Garden;Classroom Seating Area; Native American Medicine Wheel;Virginia Native Plant Garden.
Elaine Tholen, volunteer ()
Pamela Smith,Chairperson Outdoor Education/Landscape Committee
()
Daniels Run Elementary—K-6
A vegetable garden was created in the courtyard next to the science technology lab. Every class in the entire school harvests (and tastes!) vegetables in the fall and plants a vegetable in the spring in the raised bed gardens. Stream;Wetland Habitat; Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Nature trail; Vegetable Garden; NWF Certified; Classroom Seating Area; Rain Garden; Composting/Recycling.
Lori Huberman Hayes,Science/Technology Resource Teacher ()
Flint Hill Elementary
Pond; Greenhouse; NWF Certified; Weather Station; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area; Composting/Recycling. Also use PetersonPark in Vienna, and MeredithCreek with Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
Sal Rivera, Principal ()
GeorgeC. MarshallHigh School
HerbGarden; VegetableGarden. These two items are just being planted this season
Nancy Monroe/Jane Balek, volunteer co-chairs, Beautification Committee (/)
Great Falls Elementary
HerbGarden; ButterflyGarden; NWF Certified; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating; Composting/Recycling.
Julianne Remer, SACCCenter Supervisor()
Haycock Elementary
Multi-year effort to improve wildlife habitat and support gardening and other activities. Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Tree Arbor; Colonial America Garden; Vegetable Garden; NWF Certified; Weather Station; Flower Garden; Composting/Recycling; Tool Shed, Memorial Gardens, Chess Garden; Overall Reforestation and Revegetation, Nest Boxes and Bird Baths.
Steve Coffee, Co-chair of Cougar Woods, a PTA committee ()
Stephanie Snow, Instructional Assistant ()
Hollin Meadows Science and Math Elementary
We have transformed 14,000 square feet of our school grounds with various habitats and gardens.Wetland Habitat; Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Colonial America Garden; Journey North Tulip Garden; Nature Trail; Greenhouse; Vegetable Garden;NWF Certified; Weather Station; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area; Rain Garden; Composting/Recycling; Virginia Wildlife Habitat which is the entire front of the school; Virginia Woodland area; Form and Texture Garden; and 25 working beds for every grade level.
Sue Bernstein,PTA 2nd VP
()
Shawn Akard,Outdoor Education Coordinator--K-6 ()
Keene Mill Elementary
NWF Certified;Flower Garden;Classroom Seating Area.
Kristin Rever,5th grade teacher
()
LakeAnne Elementary
We generally plant with native VA plants. We presently have a polinator garden and a sponge (rain) garden. Our next garden will be a woodlands garden. Our focus is protecting the watershed. ESOL students planted a butterfly bush in the fall. Students in grades K-2 have been raising worms and their castings will be used to fertilize our gardens. The preschool and kindergardeners will be planting sunflowers later in the spring, so that they can see their flowers when they return. The Garden Club—Bayscapers--have made natural centerpieces, leaf rubbings, explored the woods behind our school, and created tableaus this winter which described our environmental focus. We'll also be making stepping stones for our garden this spring. We are still young, only in our second year of gardening. We have used the paths behind our school to explore the woods. Some classes have gone to LakeAnne as part of their curriculum.Pond; Butterfly Garden; Tree Arbor; NWF Certified; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area; Rain Garden; Composting/Recycling.
Linda Hajj, Principal ()
Lemon Road Elementary
Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Journey North Tulip Garden; Greenhouse; Vegetable Garden; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area; Composting/Recycling; sundial, bird habitat, eastern box turtle habitat, "quiet reading" nooks for small groups, interpretive signs, salsa garden, native caterpiller host garden, "Virginia Wildlife" fountain, mosaic patio.
Dawn Jacobs, DiscoveryGardens Coordinator ()
OaktonHigh School
ButterflyGarden.
Donald Clark, US History Teacher ()
Ravensworth Elementary
Herb garden; Outdoor seating; animal/bird feeders.
Rolling Valley Elementary
Dedication to Trees.
Debbie Lane, Principal ()
Spring Hill Elementary
We have courtyard, NWF certified Schoolyard Habitat with a pond, wetland marsh, flower gardens and a vegetable garden. We also have a certified Monarch Waystation with nectar flowers and milkweed. We are in the process of finishing a forest/woodland outdoor classroom with benches to be used in study of trees, habitats and food webs. It is located within our storm runoff area from our school building. We used the at the back of the stream recreation center for water testing. Pond; Wetland; Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Vegetable Garden; NWF Certified; Weather Station; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating; Composting/Recycling.
Alison Bauer, Science Specialist—K-6
ThomasJeffersonHigh School for Science and Technology
Native plant garden; herb garden; outdoor seating.
Carol Miranda, PTSA Landscape Chairperson ()
WakefieldForest Elementary
Pond; ButterflyGarden; VegetableGarden; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area.
Julia Ruskin, Office Assistant ()
Waples Mill Elementary
We are currently transforming our schoolyard into a "demonstration site" for children's conservation science, and to date have a small wetlands, a fairly large hillside rain garden/native meadow, bluebird houses and purple martin colonies, and an arboretum. Wetland Habitat; Butterfly Garden; Tree Arbor; Journey North Tulip Garden; Rain Garden; Many others are coming.
Sean Duffy,5th grade & Conservation Science teacher. In addition, I collaborate with other classroom teachers—K-6. ()
Westlawn Elementary
Pond; Wetland; Butterfly Garden; Vegetable Garden; NWF Certified; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating; Composting/Recycling; native plant garden; pumpkin garden.
Carol Hunt ()
FALLSCHURCH PUBLIC
GeorgeMasonHigh School
Our Environmental club has planted a garden. Our 8th graders have made 2 rain gardens. We have a memorial garden to a former student.Wetland Habitat;ButterflyGarden; Flower Garden; Tree Arbor.
Maria Shields, Art Teacher, grades 8-12 ()
Breanne Smith,Teacher—grades 8-10
()
Thomas Jefferson Elementary
Rain garden; native plant garden; herb garden; vegetable garden; outdoor seating.
()
PRINCEWILLIAMCOUNTY
Coles Elementary
We recently recieved a grant from Lowes to improve an area in our school yard and to establish a garden to teach the children about the environment and to incorporate the garden into the school curriculum. We are still implementing and plan to broaden the gardens integration on an annual basis until it is a finished product.HerbGarden; ButterflyGarden;ColonialAmericaGarden;VegetableGarden; Flower Garden.
Tonja Hafley,SchoolGardens Coordinator
()
OTHER/PRIVATE
American Horticultural Society
The Society offers youth gardening programs for pre-school through high school students.The Society's River Farm headquarters has a children's garden.
Stephanie Jutila,Education Programs Manager. ()
CentroNia, DC
CentroNia has had a garden through City Blossoms since 1999. Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Vegetable Garden; Flower Garden;Classroom Seating Area; Composting/Recycling;
Lola Bloom, Gardening Teacher-grades K-4
()
ClarendonChildCareCenter, Arlington
Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; NWF Certified; Flower Garden; Composting/Recycling; Teepee frame for climbing vines (creates a green playhouse!); living roof; Planter with windows for viewing roots; bird blind; gardens that teachers/children choose a theme each year, but have included: tall/short garden, pizza garden, herb garden, vegetable gardens, color themed gardens; addition of natives throughout playspace; weeping pussywillow; storage to support outdoor learning; art gazebo outdoors.Occasional field trips to Huntley Meadows, River Farms, Long BranchNatureCenter,
Sandra Redmore, Director-Pre-School ()
Earth Day Network
We coordinate and contribute to school greening projects around the country. ButterflyGarden; Greenhouse;VegetableGarden; NWF Certified;RainGarden; Native prairie restoration (in Chicago, IL).
Brenna Holzhauer,Education CoordinatorEarth Day Network - Environmental Activism and EducationK – 12
()
FullCircleMontessoriSchool
Tree Arbor; Birdfeeders
Christie Yang, Administrator ()
Grace Episcopal School, Alexandria
VegetableGarden; Weather Station; Flower Garden.
Pamela Clark, Computer/PE teacher--K-5 ()
The HillSchool, LoudounCounty
Pond; Stream; Wetland Habitat; Herb Garden; Butterfly Garden; Tree Arbor; Colonial America Garden; Nature trail; Greenhouse; Amphitheater; NWF Certified; Weather Station; Flower Garden; Classroom Seating Area; Composting/Recycling. We are currently considering a child and family co-op vegetable garden.We are a rural school adjacent to farms and woodlands.Linda Hart, Place Based Educator--K-8 ()