Happy Earth Day

On this year’s Earth Day, environmentalists are discouraged by our president’s climate change denial, his phobia about wind turbines, and his determination to drill baby drill, log baby log, and burn baby burn. You might think there’s not much to celebrate. You might long for the time when environmental concerns were bipartisan and climate science produced consensus.

But Earth Day isn’t about the politics of the moment; it’s intended to honor our magnificent planet and its diverse and abundant life. In that frame of reference, there’s plenty to commemorate.

At LP Brown Elementary School in west Olympia, there was an early de facto Earth Day last Friday, when first and fourth graders planted a big garden of native plants, some grown in the native plant nursery at Marshall Middle School.

The spark that led to last Friday’s planting event was lit by a Kyle Noble, a school neighbor and retired National Forest Service land manager.

Next to the school — and next to Noble’s house — there was an abandoned blue house on a very large corner lot. Its owner had been quite a hoarder. Noble and her partner had tried to befriend her by bringing pie, but she only opened the door a crack. They knew when she left because her truck disappeared. Eventually the house burned down. Eventually, when the county couldn’t find her and the taxes went unpaid, the county took possession of the property. It was quite a mess.

“Being right by the school, it was not a good example for kids on how to take care of your community” says Kyle.

In a conversation with the school principal, Sean Shaughnessy, Noble suggested that there should be a native plant garden there. He said “Yes, that’s a good idea.”

Noble says, “He said yes so readily I thought maybe he already had that idea too.” From that moment on, his enthusiasm helped sustain the long journey from burned house to school and community garden.

The County Commission liked the garden idea enough to sell the site to the school for $1. The Olympia School District liked the idea enough to accept it. The ball began to roll, and to gather momentum. Kyle created an informal group of about 50 neighbors, who supported the garden idea and opposed those people who thought the school need more parking.

Bob Barnes was among the key volunteers. He brought specialized expertise and a lifetime of local connections. He retired from a long career as a landscape architect for the Washington State Department of Transportation. Most of us think of pavement when we think of WDOT, but WDOT has a lot of roadside acreage — much of it filled with native plants. Barnes knows how much space, how much shade or sun, and how much water each of those plants need. His knowledge and connections were gold for a project like this.

Soon the West Olympia Rotary Club supported the project, and so did the Angela Bowen Foundation and the Native Plant Society. Bill Lenker, from the Tenino Stone Carvers, helped get enormous rocks from the Columbia Granite Quarry to make a council ring — a circle of enormous rocks, each seating several people, that can be used for classes or other gatherings.

Silver Springs Compost, which receives the contents of local municipal yard waste barrels, agreed to donate compost and mulch. This means if you use one of those big green yard waste containers for your grass clippings and pulled weeds, you’ve contributed to this garden too.

The outpouring of volunteers and donations — of gravel, compost, irrigation equipment, the time and expertise of heavy equipment operators and the fuel for their machines — all of it came together.

It’s been an almost magical gathering of resources — human, financial, botanical, mechanical, inspirational, and educational. And last Friday, it culminated in an event devoted to connecting the next generation to the earth.

Watching that day of planting was an Earth Day celebration like no other. It was a well-organized chaos of excited kids, working in pairs of first and fourth graders. They were learning how to use a shovel, getting their hands in the dirt, and squealing with surprise at the sight of the occasional worm.

In the days before, Barnes had helped direct a team to place hundreds of potted plants exactly where they should grow, and marked the ground beneath them so each would end up in the right spot. Two that are close to his heart — Coast Redwoods — were in corners where they can become giants.

Kyle Noble marveled as she watched this culmination of years of planning, advocating and coordinating.

“A lot of these kids live in apartments. This is a totally new experience for them,” she said. “One of them said this was the best day of their life.”

She hoped that all these kids would come back, year after year to watch the garden grow. The rest of us may wish we could see how the experience of planting and tending it will affect how the students grow.

Jill Severn writes from her home in Olympia, where she grows vegetables, flowers, and a small flock of chickens. She loves conversation among gardeners. Start one by emailing her at  jill@theJOLTnews.com.