Thanks to a Growing Greener II grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Frankford Friends School is moving ahead with a project to green its historic campus and add stormwater management features.
The grant will enable the school to engage a stormwater engineer and a landscape architect to develop a concept plan for its campus with elements like rain gardens, stormwater planters, and porous pavement. Once constructed, the new landscape will not only be greener, but will help protect our waterways by managing stormwater runoff, improving water quality and keeping pollutants out of our streams and rivers.
Photo credit: Halkin Mason
The team will also design stormwater elements into a new Outdoor Classroom planned for a vacant lot across Orthodox Street from the school. The Outdoor Classroom will be a green space for children to play, explore, and learn surrounded by growing things and natural materials. Raised garden beds will allow students to grow food during the school year, and will be turned over to school families and neighbors during the summer.
Proposals for the design team are being solicited now, for work to take place in late spring/early summer 2014.
