PeaceJam | Greenspire Outdoor Classroom

Greenspire Outdoor Classroom

Restoring Earth's Environment

Affiliate:	Great Lakes

Club:	The Greenspire School

Location:	Traverse City, Michigan, United States

Created:	6/3/2012

Last Update:	6/3/2012

Project Goal: The mission of this project is to clean up an abandoned foundation that sits near our school and at the trailhead to the parks that surround our school. With the help of the township parks and the conservation district, we are turning it into a space that our school, other schools, and community members can use to learn about the park ecology. Root Cause: The foundation has been abandoned and used as a place to collect trash and graffiti. Because nobody is taking care of it, there is a lack of respect for the space. We see it everyday and use it for a place to gather. If it were cleaned up, the offensive graffiti removed, and benches installed, other people would use and respect it too. Project Plan: Step one is to clean the area of debris. With the help of the conservation district and other community organizatioins, we have created wildlife habitats out of the logs, leaves, and grasses that were piled there. The rocks have been used to build an outdoor fire pit. Step two is to have the township parks and rec approve a structural assessment to see if the foundation needs to be secured in places so that it does not erode into the creek that passes near it. Step three is to clean up the graffite, and address the graffiti artists in a way that they will respect the space and keep the graffiti polite. Step four is to seek donations to secure the foundation, install benches, and create signs that will educate the public about the natural habitat of the area.

• What specific problem does this project address? • What research was done for this project? • How was this project decided upon? • How will this project remain ongoing? • How is this project going to make a difference?