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 NFA parents and students to create woodland garden When Norwood-Fontbonne Academy planned major additions to its 15-acre campus in Chestnut Hill, it did not forget the land upon which these new buildings rest. The master plan includes many enhancements to the school’s natural environment. After much planning and great anticipation, students and parents will come together this month to remove invasive species and build a native woodland plant garden and nature trail on the property. These environmental initiatives demanded extensive student input, design and hard work. With the support and direction from Dave Cavanaugh, parent alumnus and landscape architect, students researched and selected trees, shrubs, ferns, grasses and perennials. Beginning on the Fontbonne campus (at Sunset and Norwood avenues), students and parents will work together to reestablish four layers of forest habitat. The forest canopy will include the existing older pine trees but red maples, gum and sassafras trees will be added, assuring that the canopy will continue when these pines die. Red buds, yellowwood, shadblow and dogwood trees will act as the understory. The third layer, shrubs, will include an interesting collection of blueberry, winterberry, spicebush and witch hazel. Cavanaugh enjoyed working with the younger students in selecting the perennials for the ground/forest floor. “It was tricky choosing ones that the deer would not eat, but the kids selected a great collection,” Cavanaugh said. Ferns and native grasses such as switch grass, little bluestem and Indian grass, and milkweed, may-apple and blue violets are some of the many perennials that will make up the ground floor. Students will pass through a hidden arched brick doorway, original to the property when the school opened 90 years ago. A walk through the door feels as if you are entering a secret garden. Here, the nature trail will await them. Built by removing invasive species and carefully identifying a winding path through the forest floor, the nature trail will be composed of woodchips recycled from the removal of dead trees from the campus earlier this year. Sister Jean Laurich, principal, is thrilled about this aspect of the project since she teaches the children to “give back to the Earth what belongs to the Earth.” Plans include labeling all the plants and trees along the trail. “We look forward to creating an arboretum-like environment where the students can easily learn about the world around them through a walk along the nature trail,” Cavanaugh said. As native habitats are reestablished, the students expect an influx of native wildlife. Indigenous small animals, insects, salamanders, newts will be attracted to the area as well as a wide collection of birds. Bearing this in mind, students wrote a grant to EarthForce requesting funds for new birdhouses. These houses will be prepared and installed by students and parents along the native garden areas. In preparation for this, Steve Saffier, of the Audubon Society, recently spoke to NFA students, offering suggestions on the best positioning of the birdhouses to attract wren, chickadees, starlings and native bird species to the area. Birdhouses will be installed on the Norwood campus (Germantown Avenue) campus as well. These will be positioned by the sloping hill that faces the school’s near neighbors and preschool Montessori houses. In this area, similar to their efforts on the lower campus, students and parents will remove invasive species from this hillside and plant native shrubs and grasses. By planting shrubs and herbaceous material on the slopes, root systems, branching patterns and leaf litter will act as natural sponges to retain storm water runoff. Evapo-transpiration and infiltration rates will be significantly increased over turf. After the first growing season, the material will require no irrigation. Adjacent to the Norwood campus native garden is the 7th and 8th-grade buildings. Just outside their science lab is the new outdoor classroom, complete with a large slab of slate hanging as the room’s chalkboard. On this hillside above the classroom are bushes, flowers and fauna planted last spring by the outgoing 8th grade class. The students carefully researched, selected and planted the bushes and greenery along the hill. Besides the obvious benefits to the natural landscape and native animals, this project has a positive impact on the school’s adjacent neighbors and contributes to the overall landscape that makes Chestnut Hill so beautiful. “The real value however, is its role as an educational tool,” said Marc Alfarano, 4th, 5th and 6th- grade science teacher. He noted the importance of having the kids involved in the planning as well as the planting and looks forward to his future lessons. “When we are learning about native habitats, I will tell the students to close their books and c’mon outside,” he said. Environmental lessons are incorporated into the school’s math, science and religion curriculum where living green is clearly stated in the school’s mission: “A Norwood-Fontbonne student treasures self, others and Earth.” Since NFA is a Catholic academy and a sponsored work of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, its philosophy is integrated into all aspects of the NFA experience. Respect for the Earth and an appreciation for a relationship with God’s creation is a cornerstone of the SSJ faith. “We seek daily opportunities for the students to reflect, treasure and act on behalf of God’s good earth,” Laurich explained.
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