No child dreams of playing on hot asphalt. Unfortunately, millions of California students attend schools with little to no green space for them to play and learn in.
TreePeople has been working to change this with our school greening efforts, which show that school campuses have the potential to be so much more than just asphalt and grass. They can be living infrastructure, helping to cool our neighborhoods, capture water, increase biodiversity, and build community.
Here’s are a few of our favorite features from the new green schoolyard at Wilmington Middle School STEAM Magnet, which celebrated its grand opening this month:
On a hot day, asphalt can reach dangerous surface temperatures of 120 degrees or more. As part of the Wilmington Middle School greening project, 15,000 square feet of asphalt were removed, and 50 new native and climate-adapted trees were installed throughout the campus.
As these trees grow, they’ll create shade that blocks ultraviolet rays and reduces surface temperatures by up to 45 degrees, making it safer for students to learn and recreate outdoors.
Wilmington Middle School now features two gardens that are home to nearly 1,000 new native and climate-adapted plants. These plants were specially selected to withstand and improve the high pollution levels in the neighborhood, which is near a major port.
Many of them also feature flowers that will help attract and support native pollinators, which are a key part of maintaining the biodiversity of our Southern California ecosystem.
Featuring weather-resistant desks and stools and raised beds that can be used for hands-on planting, Wilmington’s new outdoor classroom will allow teachers to conduct lessons both within and about the natural ecosystem that has been created here.
Green spaces have been shown to positively impact student learning outcomes, improving concentration while reducing anxiety and stress.
During previous rainy seasons, Wilmington Middle School experienced repeated and disruptive flooding. To help redirect and capture future stormwater, TreePeople and partners installed a massive 3,660 square foot biofiltration system.
Able to capture up to 22,000 gallons of water at a time, it features a five foot deep channel filled with specially engineered soil that helps it to soak up the rain like a sponge instead of allowing it to flow off in sheets. This process also helps to clean and filter the water as it percolates back into the local aquifer.
A green schoolyard is more than just a collection of plants and trees—it’s a place for students and staff members to learn, play, and build community. At Wilmington, the new schoolyard includes multiple social spaces, from a new outdoor lunch area to a sensory learning station to a raised-bed garden and communal seating area with benches and stools crafted from local reclaimed trees.
These more intimate gathering areas were highly requested by the school community during the planning process. Surrounded by newly-planted shade trees, they will offer calm and cooling respite for students for generations to come.
Students deserve more than hot asphalt, and we are so excited to work on more projects like this one as we continue our efforts to grow a greener, more climate resilient greater Los Angeles area.
Ready to get the greening process started at your kid’s school? Check out our school greening guide here!