In the middle of a concrete jungle sits a pollinator buffet of sorts. Bees and butterflies fuel up on hundreds of plants growing at the Urban Learning Garden at Rockdale Academy. "It's one thing to have a garden, but it's another to have this. I feel like I'm in a fairytale every time I leave and step outside the building. That this is actually on school property," said school principal Dr. Jaren Finney.Finney said it's more than just a garden. "Being outdoors, we notice that students are able to decompress. Sometimes we walk students around the pavement to just deescalate, talk about what's going on. It's a home away from home," she said. It's a co-effort between the school and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. "The idea of the garden was to see how, you know for us, how many different varieties of pollinator plants and what kind of pollinators could we bring into an area that in March was just grass," said Steve Foltz, the director of horticulture at the zoo. Foltz calls it a win-win. Kids get hands-on experience in the gardens, grow food and eventually even compost. There's a small amphitheater and sensory garden, bringing the classroom to life. It all goes to show, the sky is the limit. "Dreaming big is what happened. Everyone put their minds together and came together for one accord and that was to make a difference in the neighborhood of Avondale. Make a difference with Rockdale. Make a difference in the lives of our students," Finney said. The garden is open to the public, as well.
In the middle of a concrete jungle sits a pollinator buffet of sorts.
Bees and butterflies fuel up on hundreds of plants growing at the Urban Learning Garden at Rockdale Academy.
"It's one thing to have a garden, but it's another to have this. I feel like I'm in a fairytale every time I leave and step outside the building. That this is actually on school property," said school principal Dr. Jaren Finney.
Finney said it's more than just a garden.
"Being outdoors, we notice that students are able to decompress. Sometimes we walk students around the pavement to just deescalate, talk about what's going on. It's a home away from home," she said.
It's a co-effort between the school and the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden.
"The idea of the garden was to see how, you know for us, how many different varieties of pollinator plants and what kind of pollinators could we bring into an area that in March was just grass," said Steve Foltz, the director of horticulture at the zoo.
Foltz calls it a win-win. Kids get hands-on experience in the gardens, grow food and eventually even compost. There's a small amphitheater and sensory garden, bringing the classroom to life. It all goes to show, the sky is the limit.
"Dreaming big is what happened. Everyone put their minds together and came together for one accord and that was to make a difference in the neighborhood of Avondale. Make a difference with Rockdale. Make a difference in the lives of our students," Finney said.
The garden is open to the public, as well.
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