Evening tour at GA where PAISBOA Sustainability Group members visit the gardens in the Academic Courtyard
After a year of meeting virtually, PAISBOA Sustainability Group members convened its first meeting of this school year in person at Germantown Academy (GA). The theme of the November 10, 2021 meeting was Learning Outside the Classroom.
GA’s Head of School, Rich Schellhas, welcomed 17 participants from various area schools as he shared the school’s vision of sustainability. The school has adapted and altered its grounds as part of its water management plan as it is located along the Wissahickon Creek. GA’s grounds include natural areas for wet meadows, woods, rain garden, pollinator gardens, and a rainwater collection system that holds a 30,000 gallon tank for grey water. Science, art, and physical education classes enjoy canoeing, fishing, gardening, and holding classes outside GA celebrates the creek and other outdoor spaces with its “Preserve Day” in the fall where students welcome the community with activities like learning about the benefits of wetlands, making s'mores around a campfire, nature arm painting, beeswax Candle Making on the Green Roof Apiary, natural dyeing with flowers, dragonfly crafts, and enjoying salsa in the salsa garden.
GA Upper School science teacher, Sarah Kesten, led the participants on an evening tour pointing out interpretive signs, observation areas, bat boxes, butterfly garden, and an outdoor classroom with clay sculptures made by 4th and 5th grade students.
Science Teacher, Sarah Kesten, stands by a redesigned natural area made possible through a grant by the Schuylkill Action Network
GA’s Lower School art teacher, Alia Tahvildaran, incorporates art and science with her natural dye garden with Japanese Indigo, Dyer’s Chamomile, different varieties of marigold, Sulfur cosmos, and Purple Pincushion that are harvested for their dyes. “Tending and harvesting natural color in the dye garden has presented lots of opportunities for collaboration across the different school divisions, and connecting with the community,” noted Tahvildaran. “There is also potential for STEAM projects beginning with the life cycle of plants, to hands-on dyeing methods, to conversations about the environmental impacts of the textile industry and “fast fashion,” noted Tahvildaran.
Sixth grade science teacher, Maura Saurman, showed the group other garden beds. Saurman and her students harvest tomatoes, cilantro, onions and peppers as part of their “salsa garden.” They also harvest strawberries and asparagus in the spring. “All of what grows here is due to the hard work of our mason bees and honey bees.” The group followed Saurman up to a rooftop to see the “green roof,” planted with sedums that infiltrate and slow stormwater runoff. Adjacent to the green roof is the apiary with two bee hives that Saurman and Upper School teacher Becky Pizzino incorporate in their lessons.
Water management has also led to changes in the athletic fields. Director of Facilities, Dan Houston, explained that two of the artificial turf athletic fields have a natural, plant-based infill item made from cork and coconut (Corkonut) replacing the rubber turf making the field less hot in the summer, more absorbent of water and a more forgiving surface.
After enjoying a crisp evening walk, the group convened inside for a delicious low-waste, plant-based dinner by Weavers Way Co-op. The evening ended with a raffle prize of the book: Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy.
The next PAISBOA Sustainability Meeting will be a virtual meeting on Wed. January 26, 2022 from 4:00 - 5:15 pm. Link to register. Moravian Academy will share two examples of how they are incorporating “Sustainability in the Curriculum.” Our Spring meeting will be in person at Overbrook School for the Blind (Date: tbd). For more information about the PAISBOA Sustainability Group, contact Ron Hill at rhill@paisboa.org or Mary Ann Boyer at maryann@boyersudduth.com.
Article published in PAISBOA’s Friday Flyer Vol. X, No. 17 - November 19, 2021 by Mary Ann Boyer of Boyer Sudduth.
