A transformation has taken root in the school garden at Fort Worth ISD’s Bonnie Brae Elementary, with the support of community partners like Fidelity Investments and Blue Zones Project.
The pandemic’s remote learning and social distancing caused many school gardens to wither, and Bonnie Brae was no exception. Now, new garden beds, learning elements, a shade structure, and other features are designed to create a vibrant outdoor classroom and a place for students and faculty to downshift and enjoy nature at its best.
Helping school gardens grow is an important part of Blue Zones Project’s work to make healthy choices easier and make fresh fruits and vegetables more accessible and affordable throughout Fort Worth. Blue Zones Project is led locally by North Texas Healthy Communities, the outreach arm of Texas Health Resources.
“School gardens are a great educational tool. They help engage students in learning, improve grades, and boost their emotional regulation,” explained Matt Dufrene, vice president of Blue Zones Project/North Texas Healthy Communities. “Gardening also encourages children to eat fruits and vegetables and get active. We’re so grateful that Fidelity Investments sees the value of these projects and is helping Fort Worth students reap the benefits.”
Earlier this month, volunteers from Fidelity Investment and Blue Zones Project worked side by side with school staff to implement the garden makeover. That included clearing out weeds, laying mulch and planting seeds. Bonne Brae’s parent organization will come back to prepare space for a sensory garden and assist in installing sensory components, including magnetic chalkboards, a weather station, a magnifier, listening tubes (which isolate and amplify natural sounds), and a musical fence (consisting of pipes that allow children to sound musical notes). Potting benches and “mud kitchens” will also provide sensory exploration as younger students use those stations to work with water and soil.
Bonnie Brae is the first of three school garden transformations funded by a grant from Fidelity Investments. Two additional school gardens will be selected to be revamped in the spring.
“Fidelity investments is pleased to be a part of projects like this with Bonnie Brae Elementary and Blue Zones Project because they exemplify our long-term commitment to providing access and opportunity in under-resourced communities and schools,” shared Jennifer Gray, senior community relations manager for Fidelity Investments in Texas.
The garden project is managed by Made Greene’s Mary Jo Greene, who partners with Fort Worth ISD schools on behalf of Blue Zones Project and North Texas Healthy Communities. Greene helps design the gardens and supports garden education curriculum for students and staff at more than a dozen Blue Zones Project Approved and participating schools—many of which are located in under-resourced communities with higher rates of obesity and chronic disease.
“When children garden, they’re laying the foundation for a lifetime of healthy habits,” said Greene, who worked closely with Bonnie Brae’s parent organization to plan the garden transformation. “There is nothing like watching the eyes of a child light up as they discover the wonders of the world around them.”
Bonnie Brae assistant principal Jamin Vess also put his carpentry skills to work, building a mud table and other features for the garden. He says students are already making the most of their new outdoor learning space.
“School gardens give young scholars a hands-on opportunity to explore and learn about the science of our natural world,” shared Vess. “By resetting and enhancing our garden, Blue Zones Project and Fidelity Investments have given us a critical component in our efforts to create a positive school experience that creates lifelong learners.”
To volunteer or support local school gardens, contact BlueZonesProject@texashealth.org.