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Xeriscaping
With a realization of the amount of ornamental lawn schools have, we racked our brain to figure out a better solution. Xeriscaping—low-water usage landscaping—became the solution. Because Oak Ridge High School uses over 2 million gallons of water for decorative lawn each year, we started out there. The first phase at Oak Ridge then inspired and helped Golden Sierra High School get their xeriscaping project done.
At both Oak Ridge and Golden Sierra, these spaces are now able to be used by students during break and lunch. They now have a chance to enjoy their breaks within nature. Oak Ridge's native plant garden (Phase 2) will be used by the science department for outdoor labs, along with a being a representation of what native plant landscaping can look like.
Here are some pictures and videos of these spaces' transformation.
Current Spaces...
Phase 1
Oak Ridge High School
For our first xeriscaping project, we transformed a 2,000 sqft area of lawn into low-water usage plants. Because this areas was shadier and had poor drainage, it was hard to find ideal plants for the space.
However, this first phase became the foundation for our next xeriscaping projects. We figured out the process of convincing our administration to send a green light, the steps & timeline for the whole project, the budgeting, the number of volunteers needed, and tips for the logistics to physically transform the space.
Phase 2
Oak Ridge High School
For our second phase, we thought it would be perfect to create a native garden near the science buildings. The native garden will not only beautify the campus, but it will also broaden students' visions and the community's vision of what landscape could look like.
On top of that, this will be used as an outdoor lab for biology and environmental science classes. Instead of relying on online interactive labs, students will get a chance to get hands-on to better understand the process of a lab/research study.
Day 1
Day 2
Before
After
Golden Sierra High School
We decided to do this project at Golden Sierra with the goal of increasing the aesthetic condition of our campus, and decreasing water usage and environmental impact. In the past, this area would get very muddy and pool with water every winter. Through fundraisers, publicity, and numerous workdays, we successfully carried through with the project. The new landscape has not only solved this drainage problem. With aesthetic rocks, native plants and picnic tables, we have created a visually pleasing social area that has become very popular among students at our school.
