The Water Garden Project

Our school water garden project is in full swing: Teachers created projects for their students to learn about their watershed, native plants, and how to keep the rivers clean.

Classes took field trips to public gardens to get ideas, making art for the garden, and learning about how water flows naturally.

Parents formed a volunteer group and created after-school classes, decorated bulletin boards with projects created by different classes, and created a design for the new garden.

Urban Water Works is coordinating funding, project management and design support, and developed the Water Exploratorium held last fall.

WHAT IS THE GARDEN FOR?

All of these activities have been preparation for building a garden in the south playground area that will redirect roof runoff away from the storm drains, and be used by the plants in the garden.

This method of reusing storm water runoff helps keep our rivers clean and healthy for fish and people, reduced the sewage bills for the school, and lowers the temperature in adjacent classrooms.

And best of all, the garden will be a beautiful place for the children to play and to learn for years to come! Classes will be able to use the garden to learn about the natural world, have a place for storytelling and celebrations, and provide lots of inspiration for artistic activities.

There are all kinds of ways you and your family can get involved to help make this garden. We will be having Saturday work parties to create the garden landscape. If you want to take part, talk to Ms. Blevens.

This project is a collaboration between Bridger School and Urban Water Works. Funding for this project comes in part from the Bureau of Environmental Services, Portland, and the Bridger PTA.