Municipal and School Property Management

Keeping Schools Safer with Sustainable Landscaping

Recently a local school district, who in light of the recent events decided it is better to be proactive with regards to student safety, contacted us about a paved rear entrance student walkway that was atop a sloped ground area that was completely overgrown with invasive trees, shrubbery, vegetation such as Japanese honeysuckle(Lonicera japonica) and Rosa multiflora. It was so thick that their security cameras could not see through to the public access walkway that comes right behind the school. Come May, it would be totally out of view from the new green foliage and plant growth.

With student safety and education being their top priority; they realized and understood that they needed to a full field of vision of any access to the school and they needed it now. We are very grateful and honored to be able to work with a school who is always putting their students and teachers safety as a top priority.

We used this as an opportunity to remove a thick layer of invasive plants and open up some space in the understory to give room for native species to emerge once again. We thinned out many of the smaller trees, which blocked visual access and viewing of the path and we did some crown lifting on the larger trees to allow light in for the understory to regenerate, as well as allow a nice clear path for the security camera. The larger trees, being in close proximity to the school building itself, actually lower energy costs with the shade it provides upon the school during the growing season.

We always take an inventory of the existing plant species to ensure maximum diversity is kept throughout a stand. So, of course we made sure to leave a very diverse selection of trees to grow into a mature patch of mini forest right in this school’s backyard. The patch was mostly comprised of Red Maple(Acer rubrum) and Sweetgum(Liquidambar styraciflua) trees, but we were able to make room for a couple young oak trees to grow into their space.

We were also able to save some of Kris Kolenut’s favorites, Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus Virginiana) and American Holly(Ilex opaca). The red cedars are spaced well so they won’t grow in to cover the camera view, but will be able to act as a place for hundreds of bird species to hang out in and grab a snack.

I know I would enjoy looking out at that if I finished my test a few minutes early. And I’d bet you were looking out the window while you were pondering a question or two. Nature does provide inspiration.