School Garden at Rosewood Elementary

Greening Your Campus

One of the most rewarding ways you can be a part of the District's sustainability efforts is to increase the amount of green space on your campus. 
W.E. Garden at Westminster Elementary School 

Why is Green Space important?

  • Gardens and outdoor classrooms provide a great space to learn about every subject.
  • Plants and trees improve air quality by absorbing toxins from the air and releasing oxygen
  • Plants and trees reduce global warming by sequestering carbon
  • Green spaces filter polluting water runoff by allowing water to infiltrate into the ground
  • Plants' roots prevent erosion
  • Plants and trees cool down schoolyards and classrooms with shade and transpiration
  • Gardens and outdoor classrooms provide an opportunity for hands-on experiential learning about the environment
  • Edible gardens provide fruits and vegetables and are a great way for students to learn about food and healthy eating
  • Creates peaceful places to read, think, meet quietly with friends, or even to spend a classroom period
  • Provides habitat for birds, pollinators, and other creatures
  • It is beautiful to look at!
Student watering garden at Rosewood Elementary School

What can you do?

  • Replace asphalt areas with plants
  • Plant a garden of drought tolerant native plants and/or edibles
  • Plant trees for shade
  • Build a vertical garden
  • Compost fruits and vegetables to enrich your garden and reduce its water needs
Students working on garden project at Walgrove Elementary School

Getting Started

Information on how to get started on a SEEDS project, including curriculum, partnership, and maintenance resources, can be found here.   You can also use this road map for designing and implementing a non-SEEDS garden or greening project at your school.
Campus transformation at Dorsey High School
Send us your Campus Transformation photos!