Master Greening Plan
Jose Ortega Master Greening Plan and Recent Greening Grants
Our school community is very excited about the recent unveiling of our Master Greening Plan. Our ambitious plan, created with the assistance of Friends of the Urban Forest, will transform our large asphalt play yard into a park that includes a greenhouse, additional edible gardens, a native grass meadow, a meandering crushed-granite track, an amphitheater, a tree grove, picnic benches and quiet areas all without losing valuable space for our students to learn, play and exercise. The plan also includes installing a native garden with teaching areas in front of the school, installing a water garden and refurbishing our many planting areas. The Master Greening Plan will aid us in writing and receiving greening grants.
Jose Ortega was selected to participate in the SFUSD Green Teams program. With the help of the SFUSD Sustainability Department and a PG&E Bright Ideas grant, the Green Teams are supported by Strategic Energy Innovations (SEI), an environmental non-profit based in Marin that empowers schools to reduce pollution and save money through resource efficiency and clean energy. SEI will work closely with our schools to:
- improve waste diversion to at least 85%,
- provide us with monthly utility and diversion data,
- help us create monthly newsletters, and
- make sure we have the resources we need to be a successful, sustainable green team.
Our school will become a certified “Green School” after completing the program.
In addition, Jose Ortega is the recipient of the “Tap the Sky” grant from the city of San Francisco. In late summer or early fall 2010, rainwater collection cisterns will be installed at the school. Harvesting and recycling water will be incorporated into our science curriculum and help us reduce our gardening water consumption.
We also have on-going community gardening days where our families meet at the school to trim shrubs, pull weeds, play in the dirt, plant flowers, and help implement the pieces of our greening plan.
