SAMMAMISH PLATEAU WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT AND ARBOR SCHOOLS FORM PARTNERSHIP FOR SCHOOLYARD HABITAT PROJECT

The Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District has formed a partnership with Arbor Schools and the Eastside Montessori Education Foundation (EMEF) to develop a "Schoolyard Habitat" project on the school campus. The Schoolyard Habitat Project will educate students, staff, parents, and the community on the beneficial effects of natural landscaping on water quality, water consumption and wildlife habitat.

"The demonstration garden will serve as a model of sustainable landscaping," said Janet Sailer, Conservation and Public Information Specialist for the District. "The site will be planted with native and drought-tolerant plants. We hope that area governmental agencies, developers, and homeowners can follow the lead of what the students are doing here at Arbor Schools."

The children of Arbor Schools (180 in number) were dissatisfied with the existing state of their schoolyard, which consisted of areas of bark, grass and asphalt. The Schoolyard Habitat Project will transform the site into a lush garden, which should attract a greater diversity of bird and wildlife visitors. The garden will also contain features such as rain barrels, which will serve as water catchment devices to utilize watering portions of the garden. Soaker hoses will be attached to the rain barrels to supply supplemental irrigation until the plants are established. In the autumn of 2003, students established five primary garden areas: The Butterfly Garden, the Native Shade Garden, the Amphitheatre Gathering Space, "Lucky Land" (a hill with a tunnel) and the Interpretive Trail. Led by the middle school students, the children plan and implement their garden designs during the school day and after school. Work is accomplished through volunteer work parties. The partnership plans to plant in the fall and winter months, so that the winter rains can water new plants.

Arbor Schools retains a naturalist teacher, Deborah Shultz, who is facilitating the project with the students. Shultz is inspired by the children’s enthusiasm for the project. “The students love to do this kind of work. I think the project satisfies an intrinsic need in children to work with their hands and the earth and effect change in their environment.” The school acquired the volunteer services of Dar Webb, a landscape architect who developed the Schoolyard Habitat Master Plan.

The partnership recently received a King County Waterworks grant in the amount of $19,500 to help fund the project. In addition, the school has received generous donations from Red-E Topsoil, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Fall City Greenhouse and Nursery, Bellevue Parks, Mountains to Sound Greenway, H.D. Fowler, Design Guild Contractors, Trees for Life, Mary Pigott and the Howland,
	Byron, Kuipers, Miller, Williams, Sutherland and Vandenbrande families. GDN Enterprises, Alpine Rockeries, Perennials Nursery, Lee Farm and Nursery, Storm Lake Growers and Gray Barn Nursery gave discounts on materials. If you would like further information about the Schoolyard Habitat Project, contact Janet Sailer, the District's Conservation and Public Information Specialist at (425) 392-4931 x204, or email her at janet@sammplat.wa.org.