Greening

thanks from the gsc

February 16th, 2012

dear everybody, we’ve made great progress in our quest to transform the yard from asphalt to pleasure, through an amazing collaboration of many many people and organizations. to acknowledge these contributions, we’ve created a thank-you page on our site. if we missed any names, please send us a reminder at gscharveymilkcom . a huge thank you to everyone lending a helping hand! love, the green schoolyard committee   Bookmark on DeliciousRecommend on FacebookTweet about itTell a friend

Greening day Saturday Feb 11

February 8th, 2012

join us on Saturday Feb 11 2012, 10am till 3pm-ish, as we lay wood paving in the outdoor classroom behind the bungalow. we’ll till the ground, dig a little, lay landscaping cloth and sand, de-bark the redwood slices, and then arrange them as we please. there will also be some general schoolyard grooming and playing happening, so all ages and talents are welcome, the more the merrier! as a courtesy to our neighbours, we’d like to mention that we’ll be using a tiller, most likely between 10am and 12pm. it shouldn’t be nearly as loud or long as the chainsaw… Read More…

We’re planting Trees! Saturday Sept. 17th, 2011

September 16th, 2011

Hello All. We are lucky to have Friends of the Urban Forest help us out with planting a few trees around the yard as well as on the Diamond St. side of the school. Confirmation happened this Tuesday, and so we are set to plant this coming Saturday, Sept. 17th! Please come out from 9:30-2pm to help us Green our schoolyard. Bring a potluck dish or snacks to share. Even an hour of your time will make our yard greener! Be sure to dress in layers of clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty, and close-toed shoes are a must…. Read More…

New Gardens Under Construction!

August 12th, 2011

Welcome back everyone!  Its that time again, and this Sunday when you come for the picnic, you’ll notice that some areas of the yard are construction zones, with open dirt holes in the asphalt. For now we’ve fenced them off and hung “Keep Out” signs – not the kindest message for a schoolyard, but the hardware store doesn’t sell signs that say “Please Be Safe and Stay Out of Construction Areas”. Plus, we needed to be clear and communicate a message simple enough for even a Kindergartener to read and understand. While the fenced off areas are inconvenient now, over… Read More…

New Planter Boxes are in!

August 8th, 2011

Thanks to all the Harvey Milk Greeners who worked this past Sunday, getting our new and improved yard ready for the school year. In addition to other tasks, they completed two planters under the stairs, soon to be filled with growth. Hooray! Bookmark on DeliciousRecommend on FacebookTweet about itTell a friend

all-ages yard workday july 10th, 10am – the end.

July 7th, 2011

dear everybody, our yard is getting some love this summer. the district architect has selected a contractor to remove asphalt in some underutilized spots, fix and reseal the remaining asphalt, and paint new game lines. construction is expected to start on july 12th. to prepare for the asphalt removal in the area behind the bungalow, we’re having an all-ages workday this sunday, july 10th, from 10am till the end. we’re aiming to: – move some plants we love (bay/rosemary/nasturtium, etc) – move the worm farm, compost bin and other loose stuff off the blue boxes. – empty the plastic container in… Read More…

Crazy Hat Day at Harvey Milk!

May 11th, 2011

This week is spirit week at HMCRA, and yesterday was crazy hat day. There were many fuzzy things perched on students’ and teachers’ heads, including animals, cowboy hats, baseball hats, a supersize hamburger, a giant jester hat, a shoebox hat and, instead of a rooftop garden, a headtop garden.  Thanks for all the spirit everyone! Bookmark on DeliciousRecommend on FacebookTweet about itTell a friend

Our first ripe strawberry!

May 4th, 2011
The first berry from our garden!

As our cool wet Spring heats up and dries out, the strawberries are starting to ripen. We also have tasty snap peas appearing on our vines, and as Summer arrives we’ll have sweet pea blossoms, radishes, raspberries, carrots, beans, lettuce, onions and more strawberries and peas. In the fall we hope to have additional berries, sunflowers, pumpkins and maybe, if we’re really lucky, some corn and tomatoes.  We’ll try to keep salad growing too, since it is so fast and easy. It may be hard to tell, but you can see from the photo that someone ate up our first… Read More…

Happy Earth Day!

April 23rd, 2011

The Green Schoolyard Committee has been hard at work, acquiring plants and helping students put them into our native garden. The kids have done a great job, and by the time school starts again this coming August, we should have a lush and flowering garden in our amphitheater! The garden offers a landscape of native california species that will provide material for lessons about history, geography, math, science, literature, art and writing, all the while making our schoolyard more beautiful and green. So far our garden includes Alum Root, Figwort, Columbine, Coyote Bush, Douglas Iris, Elderberry , Fringe cups, Flowering currant, Phacelia, Wood Strawberry, Beach Strawberry, Western Sword… Read More…

Strawberries are on their Way!

April 13th, 2011

A few weeks back students at HMCRA spent a sunny afternoon planting strawberry seedlings in the kitchen garden. The weather has been good since then, and we are hoping for a bumper crop! Bookmark on DeliciousRecommend on FacebookTweet about itTell a friend