The 2nd graders at the Environmental Charter School in Pittsburgh, USA were happy to see their Discovery Garden space being used by the whole school, but noticed that the grass that had been planted was slowly turning into dusty dirt (or mud, when it rained). As part of their Alcoa W5 project, they decided to develop the dusty lawn into a green space that would be more inviting for wildlife and their fellow students!

The students started by learning about the benefits of native plant species. Each student chose a plant species to learn about and shared their new knowledge with their class. Then it was time to get to work! The 2nd graders got their hands dirty working to break up the packed down dirt in their Discovery Space to prepare it for planting. Then they added topsoil and fertilizer to help ensure that their plants would thrive. With the help of other students, teachers and volunteers the students planted a tree, a spicebush and added almost 4 m2 of other native pollinator plants.

Through their Alcoa W5 project, students gained a deeper understanding of native plant species, giving them a greater sense of connection to nature as they saw the plants, they had learned about appearing in the Discovery Garden. Knowing the benefits of each plant gave the students a sense of ownership over the new pollinator garden and their excitement was shared with their families and teachers.

The Alcoa W5 project of the Environmental Charter School supports the following SDGs: