Life-Giving Landscapes
This Great Idea is inspired by Katharine Hayhoe’s Talking Climate blog and the Grist article Hayhoe cites, How Greener Schoolyards Benefit Kids – and the Whole Community (by Claire Elise Thompson) both of which reference a new study that ‘shows that green spaces on school campuses are good for kids, the planet, and the bottom line’.
After highlighting University of Colorado professor Lois Brink’s work greening Denver Public Schools’ elementary school grounds, Thompson writes, ‘With all the benefits of green schoolyards, for students, communities, and the environment, it may seem like a no-brainer solution. Still, there are barriers to converting every single schoolyard into a green space… Cost is one obvious one. But even more than the actual dollars… it’s often the initiative it takes to bring together diverse stakeholders to make a project happen…’
Here’s where congregations come in!!
More and more congregations are developing pollinator plots and greener parking lots. Imagine the impact on our communities if congregations and public schools worked together?
Yes, there is the messiness of intersections of church and state, but there are plenty of examples of churches working with public schools (see here!): for instance, our local public high school utilizes space in two neighboring church buildings during certain test times.
Could congregations work with schools to green their outdoor spaces? Many schools, especially in urban areas, are plagued with hardscapes that are uninviting, uninspiring, and completely remove students from an experience of anything natural, wild, or green.
Parents have taken the lead in our neighborhood. Our local elementary school parent group – with the support of school staff and faculty and in conjunction with various classroom activities so that children are part of the project’s unfolding – have converted the local school yard to a multi-purpose outdoor space with jungle gyms in one area, a large open field, a ‘Learning Landscape’ (perhaps inspired by those in Denver), pollinator plots, and pumpkin patches.
Other schools have expanded the community’s use of the school yard by incorporating walking trails, multi-sensory landscapes, covered areas for all-weather access, food production for new immigrant families, and leash-free dog runs.
How might your congregation – or members of your congregation – partner with your local public schools (particularly parents and kids!!!) to create more green spaces?
Might you be able to combine hopes and dreams for your own grounds with efforts at the school to provide greater visibility for the whole concept and broaden the impact?
What local businesses and other organizations might you partner with to fund and expand the project?
- landscapers
- lumber yards
- hardware stores
- greenhouses
- farmer groups
- refugee resettlement organizations
- multi-cultural centers (think of the interesting plants & foods that might be curated!!)
- the sky’s the limit!!
Greener landscapes are life-giving to all – especially the children, faculty, and staff of the school. Partnering to create something generative and transformative for everyone is a great way to share the Good News with the whole community!!
