A partnership between the New York Horticultural Society (NYHS) and Greening Western Queens has provided the students of P.S. 84 with a new, pristine “Learning Garden.”
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the school, located at 22-45 41st Street in Long Island City, on the morning of September 13. Built on a slope in front of the school, the area is designed to be an outdoor classroom that will provide students with a horticultural and environmental education.
Among the garden’s many features are a cistern to collect rainwater, which lowers runoff issues and reuses water; evergreen shrubs; a large perennial bed and two planting beds.
The garden is funded by a $50,000 grant from Greening Western Queens and a $40,000 donation from Sal Bacarella, a local landscaper from Garden Works.
Senator Michael Gianaris, who attended P.S. 84 as a child, secured funding for the original garden, which was renovated to create the modernized “Learning Garden.”
“This garden is an excellent tool for students to learn in a more hands-on capacity and enhances their understanding of the environment,” said Gianaris, who attended the unveiling. “It is a great example of community members, advocacy groups and government pulling together to make productive use of this space. We are always in need of more avenues to teach children about the environment, how it works and how we can benefit from it.”
