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The general idea of this project is to partner with Terra Birds to make significant improvements to the south entrance of Ponderosa High School (PHS). Currently, the landscape is filled with weed cloth, juniper, and other non-native shrubbery and plants that epitomize an overused commercial look that is sterile, unoriginal, and stale. As an organization that hopes to inspire a strong sense of place, this project would transform the south campus entrance into an climate resilient habitat for students to reflect on sustainability curriculum and stewardship practices. By bringing the landscape in line with themes and aesthetics represented elsewhere on campus, we hope to design and nurture an area that focuses on significant ethnobotanical plants. The treatment and engagement with the space would include the following through a combination of work shifts with youth workers, greenhouse classes, and volunteer workdays with Rotary members and students. Some key tasks would include:
● Remove weed cloth and non-native degenerative plants
● Prune and maintain established trees that provide shade
● Gently lower basin areas to hold moisture and provide flood irrigation
● Construct rock retaining wall features to slow erosion
● Plant native grasses, wildflowers, native shrubs, and structural trees
● Incorporate natural elements of petrified wood from Holbrook to beautify entrance
Ponderosa HS is an alternative high school, for students who have not had much success in traditional environments. Also involved will be students from Juvenile Court Transition School. They will both be enrolled in the Terra Birds "BIRDS@Work job training program and greenhouse class. This program gives students an opportunity to earn a respectable wage, while sharpening skills in communication, teamwork, relationship building, excellence and leadership. Additional information regarding sustainability and impact on students is included in the attached Terra Birds proposal.
Flagstaff Rotary will contribute $1,000, and $2,000 will be contributed by a local Foundation - Stone Soup. Rotarians will work along side students on the work days. We will put up our banner and Rotarians at work signage, wear our Rotarians at Work shirts, and coordinate with our local newspaper for publicity. Terra Birds will highlight the project in their newsletter, giving credit to Rotary for funding and labor.
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