Grantee: Edison High School, Academy of Sustainability at Edison – Huntington Beach, CA / 2017
Project Title: Edison Habitat Design Project
Grant Type: ecoSolution
Description:
Edison High School students are repairing their campus’s ecosystem, one habitat design at a time! The Academy of Sustainability noticed that there were several plants that do not naturally grow in their coastal sage scrub ecosystem. With the Edison Habitat Design Project, students were given the opportunity to identify the problems inside of the school’s landscape and create a new plan that includes more fitting plants for Southern California’s ecology.
Using this as an opportunity to learn more about this particular ecosystem, students of the Academy of Sustainability were divided into small groups to create plans to remodel sections of the school’s landscape in order to include plants that are more appropriate for the school’s environment. Students also were able to practice data collection through site analysis, client interviews from the school’s administrative staff and science department and research to help create an effective design.
After the designs have been presented and approved, students participated in installation day. During this day, students and volunteers removed the original plants and mulched them to use in the new designs. After the new plants were installed, the students of the academy collaborated with graphic arts students to create signs that promote the benefits and awareness of native habitats.
Continuous Impact/ Community Engagement:
During the installation of the habitats, students invited friends, families and community members to assist in installation, giving the community an opportunity to not only get involved, but to also learn more about the Southern Californian ecosystem.
The school is also using the garden to apply to students in the school system by using the habitats for data collection in science and math classes and inviting younger students to the habitats for field trips.
To continue this project, Edison High School’s principal agreed to allocate a small portion of her yearly discretionary funds to continue native habitat installations by the students.