Green space replaces asphalt-dominated playgrounds at Franklin Elementary
In an effort by parents and administrators dating back to 2012, Benjamin Franklin Elementary School last week celebrated its completed Urban Greening Project, which converted roughly 30,000 square feet of asphalt on campus into native habitat gardens.
There are now nearly 50 trees and more than 600 shrubs planted on the Franklin campus to promote “healthy green spaces during the school day,” according to a statement by the Glendale Unified School District.
Los Angeles-based nonprofit North East Trees partnered with the parent-run Benjamin Franklin Elementary Foundation to secure $1 million in a state grant from the California Natural Resources Agency.
The money was made available through Proposition 84, which authorizes more than $5.3 billion in general-obligation bonds to fund projects that include access to safe drinking water as well as control of water pollution and contamination.
The trees and shrubs are comprised of plants native to California and are drought-resistant. The native habitat gardens were designed to be easy to sustain and support the local ecosystem.
Twitter: @JeffLanda
