Spruce Up the School Day at Riverdale

Jack and I spent Thursday morning at Riverdale School helping parent and student volunteers spruce up the campus. I didn’t realize until our grandsons transferred to Riverdale last year that the school campus was certified in 2010 as a Level 1 arboretum. The campus includes several gardens that are maintained mostly by parents, students, and other volunteers, under the direction of Dr. Stacy Stevens, one of the counselors at Riverdale. Stacy also sponsors the Environmental Club, a group of students in grades 3-8 who are interested in environmental issues.

Jack and I worked mostly on cleaning up the breezeway gardens. Here’s Jack pulling vines out of the largest beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) I’ve ever seen. It is loaded with berries (still green and not visible in this picture). I plan to drop by the school when the berries turn blue. I’m sure it will be a sight to behold!

Here’s Stacy (behind the garden rakes) surrounded by an enthusiastic group of Riverdale cheerleaders.

The Environmental Club at Riverdale meets after school once a week while school is in session to work in the gardens, learn about plants and soil, and engage in a host of other “green” activities. Stacy is always looking for adult volunteers to help with these activities or to participate in the three general workdays on the campus (July, October, and April) . If you are a Master Gardener, these volunteer hours would count toward your “community service” requirement. Contact Stacy at stacy.stevens@gmsdk12.org for more information if you would like to help.