For the past several months, students at Plainfield Academy have been preparing for one of their most ambitious service learning projects. With financial assistance in the form of grants from British Petroleum (BP) and Plainfield School District Foundation for Excellence, and product donations from Becker Underwood, the students are creating a tree and perennial nursery.
Plainfield Academy was one of 11 BP grant recipients in Illinois and one of 200 recipients nation-wide.
The nursery project will provide a renewable landscaping stock for Plainfield School District 202 properties, the Plainfield Park District, and other not for profit Will County organizations. In the future, as the project grows, students will also market and sell the stock to area residents.
Since March, students have attended classes to prepare them for the project.
During March classes, they studied soils, plant health care requirements, and site design and layout. Fieldwork included choosing the most appropriate site, measurement and layout of the nursery plot (which is about ¾ of an acre), and layout of planting locations within the nursery plot. The plot is located next to the District 202 warehouse at 914 Eastern Avenue in Plainfield.
April’s classes included information about trees and shrubs, correct planting techniques, and how to select the best plant for the site. At the end of class, students chose the varieties of trees and shrubs to be planted, based upon the planting sites and their budget. The following day, students worked at the nursery location to plant several hundred trees and shrubs.
May classes will include information about landscape design and about perennials, their selection, and planting techniques. Students will choose plants based upon site conditions, budget, and design considerations. Following classroom work, students will plant a wide variety of perennials for use in their future designs.
As a part of the Plainfield Academy Tree and Perennial Nursery Service Project, students are conducting a field trial for Becker Underwood of Ames, Iowa. They will document the results of their trial and provide the information to Becker Underwood.
The Plainfield Academy student project directors for the Tree and Perennial Nursery Service Learning Project include Nate Otake and Phillip McNamara.
Collaborating Landscape Architect and Horticulture specialist for the project is Mrs. Donna McDaniel.
Plainfield Academy staff include Service Learning Coordinators Colleen Caruthers and Juliann Sedey; Teachers Tracy Beneventi, Tracey Newberry, Jon Zarzycki; Social Worker Terri Lucas Anderson; Vocational Coordinator Robert Pogliano; Teacher’s Aid Ed Mittelstaedt; Lewis University Practicum Student Lorena Guerrero; and Principal Tod Schnowske
The Plainfield Academy Tree and Perennial Nursery Service Learning Project was made possible by a $15,000 grant from BP for implementation, a $2,500 grant from the Plainfield School District Foundation for Excellence for continuation and care of the project, donation of Rhizanova TM Palm and Flower Rx from Becker Underwood of Ames, Iowa, and donations of staff time from Arthur Clesen Inc. of Wheeling and Mokena, Illinois, Prairie Grove Landscaping of Rockdale, Illinois, Winding Creek Nursery of Millbrook, Illinois, and Bonfield Gardens of Bonfield, Illinois.
