The Villa Academy Green Team is planting a native garden in the strip of soil between the two carpool lanes on the east side of the school. Funding for this student-driven project came from a $300 “Terry Husseman Sustainable School Award” granted to Villa Academy by the Washington State Department of Ecology.  Preparations for the garden began in May and will continue through the summer and into next year.

All the plants in the Green Team garden will be native to Washington State. In an effort to save water and energy in the summer months, the Team has focused their selection on plants that flower only in the spring and fall and have chosen species that are found in areas with more sun exposure and drier soil.

The students have worked diligently to plan and prepare the execution of this project. Lots of brainstorming, research and schedule planning preceded the first day of digging last week. As part of their preliminary planning, the Green Team writes, “Our native plant garden is important because it gives homes to native animals and our plants are adapted to the climate and to native animals. It also provides a variety of foods all through the year.”

At one of their earliest meetings, student members of the Green Team voted to spend the $300 award from the WA Department of Ecology on tools, supplies and planting soil to keep their garden growing.

Join us as we watch the Green Team’s Native Garden bloom! Students will begin planting this week. Informational plant signage and additional garden touches (such as bird feeders, woodpecker suet logs, etc) will be coming soon!