As part of an earlier phase of campus greening, hundreds of linear feet of impermeable, heat-absorbing asphalt were removed from the Jackson Elementary School campus in Altadena in 2021 (Photo – Wesley Reutimann)
Special to ColoradoBoulevard.net:
The “Natural Infrastructure – Watershed Discovery Campuses Pasadena Unified School District” was one of only six proposals, statewide, recommended for California Green Schoolyards funding.
Wesley Reutimann
Wide expanses of impermeable, heat-absorbing asphalt are the norm at public school campuses across southern California. Thanks in large part to Altadena-based non-profit Amigos de los Rios, the tide on the sea of schoolyard asphalt is slowly starting to go out at some Pasadena Unified School District campuses.
On July 12th the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection announced the first round of awards for its 2023 Green Schoolyards program. The program has become increasingly popular over the past five years, as more communities recognize the rise in extreme heat and many benefits of cooler, greener campuses. Recent research on schoolyard greening projects have indicated that they help reduce stress, alleviate anxiety, improve focus, and even lower rates of obesity and blood pressure among students.
The PUSD project should include greening improvements on at least five PUSD campuses: Muir High School and Washington, Willard, Jackson, Altadena, and San Rafael Elementary Schools.
Local volunteers are once again expected to play a significant role in bringing these projects to life. For details about upcoming volunteer opportunities, including a July 23rd “Greening Willard Elementary” day, visit Amigos de los Rios’ events page.
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