The Fifth Grade Environmental Action Club, along with its partners Earth Force and the Tookany/Tacony/Frankford Watershed Partnership, have been working to address the issue of storm-water management at GFS. One of its concerns has been the hard-packed turf on the Commons, which allows much of the rainfall to run off into storm drains near the archway of the Main Building. Project Flow’s handsome rain garden began to address this last summer. The EAC, with the support and counsel of Nick Dobrowski, Dick Wade and parent/landscaper Nicole Juday, will begin a small installation on the Commons that will hopefully reduce our storm-water footprint as well as further beautify the Commons.
The EAC’s plan is to install a raised oval of soil, compost, peat moss, etc., that will greatly improve the permeability of the soil in that area of the Commons around the young magnolia tree growing near the driveway. The oval will be planted with a few native shrubs, some native grasses and a few perennials for color and aesthetic appeal. This small oval will hopefully “reflect” the larger oval around the crab apple tree, near the Cary Building, giving the area continuity through repetition. Additionally, some of the plants EAC will be installing will be similar to the ones in the Project Flow rain garden.
The installation will begin, weather permitting, on Monday, May 7, and will hopefully be completed, and mulched, by the end of school. Please feel free to stop by, ask questions, make suggestions and offer this dedicated and hardworking group of fifth graders your encouragement.