In October 2023, Sonoma Ecology Center (SEC) received two planning grants from CAL FIRE to provide “greening” features and designs for 12 elementary schools in underserved communities, including four in Santa Rosa and eight in Pittsburg, located in the East Bay. Additionally, SEC was able to include two schools from the West Contra Costa Unified School District in the project. In collaboration with key partners—Bay Tree Landscape Design, Gates and Associates, and DC Architects—and with input from each school community and school district administration, SEC has completed shovel-ready plans for each school.
Students at Marina Vista Elementary School in Pittsburg offer suggestions and preferences for greening actions during a presentation by DC Architects.
These greening designs incorporate increased shade through tree plantings, areas for outdoor classrooms that utilize natural elements such as large stones and logs for seating, and natural play areas to replace asphalt. Furthermore, SEC developed an environmental education curriculum for these schools based on the successful model previously implemented at Sonoma Valley elementary schools. Read more about the Watershed Education Program, which delivers hands-on environmental science instruction, in alignment with California’s Next Generation Science Standards, to every 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classroom in the Sonoma Valley.
Lisa Howard from Bay Tree Design (far right), Eric Schoohs from SEC (back, in hat), and three volunteers plant a tree at Bellevue Elementary School in Santa Rosa.
As a follow-up to the planning phase, SEC assisted the Pittsburg Unified School District in securing a $1.5 million green schoolyards implementation grant for Stoneman Elementary School. This grant, funded by CAL FIRE with money provided by the federal Inflation Reduction Act, will support project work starting in early 2025. In November 2024, SEC staff also planted a total of 24 trees at Meadow View and Bellevue Elementary Schools with assistance from school staff, parents, and children. These trees will provide increased shade during hot afternoons in the spring and fall.
Sonoma Ecology Center’s involvement in the Green Schoolyard’s Project made a positive impact on school campuses all the way in the East Bay, like Stoneman Elementary School in Contra Costa County.
Sonoma Ecology Center remains committed to seeking funding to implement greening plans at all the other schools. These efforts aim to incorporate more natural elements for play and outdoor education while offering shade and relief from increasingly hot playgrounds.
This project highlights Sonoma Ecology Center’s broader commitment to supporting accessible, informed environmental education for youth in the Sonoma Valley and, through the Green Schoolyards project, beyond. By incorporating green spaces into schools, we are enhancing learning environments and helping to set the stage for a new generation of empowered and inspired environmental stewards.