Kent ISD — A 2020 native plant initiative at Kent ISD was recognized during a recent bus tour highlighting watershed projects for its educational value and its successful collaboration with its maintenance crew to ensure the site’s ongoing care.
About 30 people attend the tour, hosted by the Grand Valley Metro Council and Lower Grand River Organization of Watersheds. It highlighted several restoration projects funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative that have been pivotal in restoring the lower Grand River watershed and the Grand River, said Anna Kornoelje, metro council land and water projects manager.
One of the stops was Kent ISD, where two rain gardens/native plantings were done in fall 2020, one near the MySchool@Kent/Launch U facility and the other near the Kent ISD Leffingwell entrance, which was the site the group visited.
“This is my favorite location of all of the locations that we planted,” said Eileen Boekestein, who worked on the restoration grant while with LGROW. Boekestein is now with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.
Boekestein said students helped select tree species and determine planting locations. They planted more than 300 trees and established two rain gardens/native planting areas, which now absorb more than a million gallons of stormwater each year. The project also included the development of a maintenance guide, she said.
“This is one of our highlights,” said Heather Pratt, a tech center agriscience instructor who has been involved in the project since its inception. Students have enjoyed the hands-on experience of cutting down the plants in the fall and then cleaning the areas, she said.
“In addition to being a great hands-on experience for them, we now have some fantastic additions to our plant collection here on campus for identification and other projects,” she said.
Russell Bray, Kent ISD facilities and operations director, said the project’s success is largely due to its thoughtful planning and execution, especially the maintenance plan, which has contributed to its enjoyment and long-term sustainability.
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