More than 250 volunteers transformed an empty lot into the Humboldt Learning Garden!

What a difference a day makes!

· 7 invasive holly trees were removed from the learning garden

· 20 cubic yards of debris (invasive ivy, blackberry, weeds and non-native shrubs) were removed from the school grounds and garden space.

· A butterfly-friendly garden was tilled and planted with 187 native plants and flowers

· A berry patched was tilled and prepared for 63 berry plants to be planted by the students

· A natural storm water management “bioswale” was created and filled with 49 native water-loving plants and one Oregon Ash tree.

· A wheelchair accessible path, complete with concrete entry ramp, was built. The 200 foot garden path was created with pavers, including mosaic tiled pavers created by the students.

· 14 raised beds, 3 wheelchair accessible, were built and filled with soil.

· The school’s 4 basketball hoops and back-boards were re-painted and new nets were installed.

· A portable classroom was painted green.

· The gym was painted from a light yellow that showed all scuffs and marks, to a dark purple.

· The main hallways of the school were painted for the first time in 11 years.

· The teacher lounge was painted from dull to spicy

· The school office was painted

· 2 bathroom murals were painted using the creative ideas of the students and the talent of the art teacher

Hallways

Volunteers had a great time - in their own words . . .

"Thank you so much for supporting Humboldt school with this project.  It was so exciting for parents, students and teachers to be able to work with the larger community in improving our little public school.  The fresh coat of paint really brightened the learning environment, and I especially love the new garden with classroom planter boxes, butterfly garden, native and hardy plants, and the paved pathway that we never would have been able to do on our own.  Incorporating the mosaic paving stones that Humboldt students had made into the garden pathway made it just that much more special.  The supplies from Home Depot were incredible and the Home Depot volunteers did a beautiful job in their work and in training Humboldt parents and volunteers to be able to continue the work on the pathway and garden.  Portland is really fortunate to have an organization like Hands on Portland, both for the physical improvements that you are achieving for the schools and other public spaces, but also for the community-building and empowering benefits too.  Thank you!”

“I loved the diversity of people/children that wanted to volunteer their Saturday!  This was my first event for Hands On and I felt very comfortable and welcomed into the community.  Very rewarding!”

“Great day. My very first volunteer experience and I loved it! Met some great people, learned something new about myself, and really enjoyed being a part of making the school look better.”

This project is In partnership with Hands On Schools, The Home Depot and Behr Paint Company.

If you would like to support the future of this project materials, supplies, tools, plants or other items, please contact Cheryl Paul, cheryl@handsonportland.org or 503.413.8912.