A project that was over two years in the works came to fruition on Tuesday May 19th 2015 when students, families, community members and Surfrider volunteers joined together for a dedication ceremony of the Peninsula school’s Ocean Friendly Rain Garden. Led by Jocelyn Gary, rockstar volunteer, Peninsula 5th grade teacher and special events coordinator for the Portland Chapter, this beautiful rain garden and serious labor of love was constructed in honor of the school’s retired principal Carlos Galindo.
Peninsula School students and partners designed the rain garden during the 2013-2014 school year. The project collects and treats rainwater runoff from 11,400 square feet of roof area and includes a variety of native plants that provide habitat for wildlife. Carlos Galindo added, “Schools are about the learning process for students. The new Rain Garden at Peninsula K-8 will add a whole new learning adventure and provide students, staff and families the opportunity to gain new knowledge as they continue to go through the learning process.”
The project was a collaboration of the Surfrider Foundation Portland Chapter, Peninsula K-8 and PPS, Blossom Earthworks, and Portland’s Community Watershed Stewardship Program. Carlos Galindo also added, “The Peninsula K-8 Learning Community is very grateful for being part of the whole process working with Surfrider Foundation from communication, designing and implementation as well as working with PPS Facilities supporting the entire project.” A huge and heartfelt thanks to all the students, volunteers, teachers, and parents who help make this a reality!
For more pictures of the dedication ceremony, click here.
For pictures of the project in all stages of construction, click here.
Portland Public School's video of the ceremony
Excerpt from Jocelyn Gary's dedication speech:
Carlos, you have taught us how to create both art and community in our school, and for that we are grateful. Carlos taught at Markham and Jackson Middle School where he enriched the lives of thousands of students through his teaching of Social Studies and Art.
Carlos is amazing at organizing; he has skills we’ve never seen before. His meticulous attention to details made him a task master. As an incredible communicator, his staff was always sure of what was coming, what needed to be done, and where everyone was each day. The school wide events he created such as The Day of the Child, and Harvest Festival brought our community together to experience the diversity and excitement of authentic ethnic experiences will always be remembered. We loved seeing his smile each morning as students and parents entered the building. His hugs and words of affirmation brightened everyone’s day and set students on the right path for being prepared to learn.
This garden now makes a figurative place of Carlos a beautiful physical reality, to be shared and enjoyed by generations to come.
This site was chosen with great love and care. The Portland Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation sought out a community space that encompassed our core values and beliefs of bettering the environment and help to preserve our local watersheds. Students are now blessed with the educational opportunities to seek out and learn about native plants and insects, how our local watersheds run together to create our recreational waterways, and about human impact on the environment around us and ways we can improve our surroundings.