#PTAProud - Moorlands Garden Project

Over the past few years, Moorlands Elementary PTA has been working on campus beautification, beginning with the installation of a bottle cap mural and culminating in the completion of a garden surround. The years of effort have resulted in a school entrance that is both beautiful and welcoming.

Two elements of the beautification project

Bottle cap art mural – The bottle-cap mural which serves as a colorful backdrop to the new garden was originally completed in 2016. This collaborative project was an experience of tremendous support and community-building and so many positive lessons for Moorlands students. The process has done so much more than just teach students about the environment and using recycled materials to make something beautiful. The lessons that it has taught them in pulling together resources, goal-setting, project process and hard work and perseverance has been invaluable in their educational experience. They all have such pride and ownership of their work now that the see the mural up on campus. They will never look at another bottle cap the same-- and many have expressed interest in making their own bottle cap art project, so this experience really doesn’t end here.

The Garden: In the spring of 2018 a garden committee was created.  The support within the Moorlands community was overwhelming to move forward with finishing the beautification project since everyone was so proud of the mural.  The garden was built to be used-- for families and visitors to walk the path, sit on the bench, smell the flowers and admire the beloved mural.  Garden Chair Janna Snider elaborated, "My hope for the garden is that staff will use the space for meetings on sunny days,  for class volunteers to take small groups outdoors to read and discuss literature, a place to calm a child down who is struggling, and for parents to take their child’s picture on the first day of Kindergarten.  It is truly a community space for all to enjoy."

Congratulations to Moorlands PTA and to the Moorlands Elementary community on completion of this amazing collaborative project! #PTAProud

25 volunteers, 5 work parties, 15 yards of dirt removed, 14 new yards added, and 175 plants!  The bench, paid for by the PTA and made out of recycled milk bottles, was custom made for Moorlands and measures about 19’ long.

Thank you to Janna Snider, Garden Chair, Moorlands PTA, for sharing her before and after project photos!