Living with Trees: Bright Green Futures Grant

By:

The Bright Green Futures Grant, City of Austin’s Office of Sustainability

Amount = $2,000

The City of Austin’s Watershed Department funded this grant due to its preservation of the front courtyard heritage oaks after restoration of the school building’s water damage and intensive drainage installation.  These oaks and their root systems are important in preserving our campus from erosion and watershed.

What was funded: 

Rainwater collection tank from Texas Metal Tanks

• Installation and plumbing of tank by BWE parent Mathew Haney of Harvest Rain
• Plants restored to the courtyard area
• Proper irrigation running to trees and its roots
• Chipper mulch installed

During the month of May students will complete the following during STEAM time:

Learn about how our campus is affected by the watershed into Shoal Creek and Lady Bird Lake.

Learn from guest speakers about green careers including forestry and civil engineering.  

Landscape the courtyard with drought and shade tolerant plants, install soaker hoses, and and mulch.

Rain tank will irrigate the tree and its roots and surroundings during drier months.

May 4th, students watched the following videos in STEAM and discuss watershed, the importance of trees for watershed and keeping the existing urban forest in tact when repairs to drainage or any construction takes place.  The following YouTube videos are being shown to students:

Watershed Vdeo = https://youtu.be/GrBAWgN3uIY

Urban Forest Video = https://youtu.be/B45ekwQ2n2g

May 5th, AISD Forester Lisa Schissler presented a lesson and Q&A to and with students around sustainabiliy, sustainable methods, oak preservation, and urban forest preservation.

May 19th, students at Bryker Woods will be presented the "Big Check".  The following message went out to the parents for those coming in attendance to present to our students.  Our District 10 Council Member has been watching our grant come to life and has wanted to come and talk with students and congratulate them on their sustainable efforts!

Bright Green Futures Grant “Big Check” delivery this Friday, May 20, at 7:45 a.m.!

This Friday, District 10 Council Member Sheri Gallo; City of Austin Office of Sustainability’s Mary Priddy; and City of Austin Watershed Department’s Director of Watershed Protection Joe Pantalion and Environmental Program Manager Jessica Wilson will be presenting the “big check” to students during morning assembly.  

Please join your students for the big check delivery to Bryker Woods Elementary!

Progress has been documented the following ways:

www.greenribbonschools.org/Brykerwoods Elementary

Twitter: @AISDGreen, @BrykerPanthers, @bwsteamlab, @AISDOutside

Facebook: Sustainable Intelligence Teachers

Courtyard Area Targeted for Grant

Texas Metal Tanks build of 5x7 rain tank:

Ring and Tank set for project to begin in the courtyard:

Students in STEAM lab learning about protecting our urban forest!

AISD Forester, Lisa Schissler teaching Students about our Heritage Oaks and Sustainable Methods:

23 1.5 gallon Cast Iron/Aspidistra Arrived TODAY!  Shade loving and drought tolerant!

WONDERFUL Morning Assemly with Grant Check presented to a cafeteria of students! Joined by Sheri Gallo, our District 10 City Council Member along with Joe Pantalion and Jessica Wilson of the City of Austin Watershed Department!  

The project was finalized today...June 1st!  Students rotated outside with their deisgnated Science class hour.  75 plus students came to the courtyard, planted 28 cast iron plants (drought and shade tolerant but also great barriers for watershed), and 8 yards of 1st grind hardwood mulch (retains ground moisture but does not make for a sloshy area since rain water collects at the base of the school building).

Last class of the day!  

Rain Garden looking quite great!  Austin Yard Cards put a Thank You in the yard and we posted the thank you on Twitter @AustinWatershed as well as other handles with AISD:  @AustinISDGreen and @AISDSupt.  We just recently started our Twitter account at school to show AISD our campus progress and sustainable impact. Other ways are #AISDoutside and #AISDproud.

A REALLY AWESOME DAY AND FINISH TO THE SCHOOL YEAR!