Burbank Elementary School Education Garden

Educational Garden at Burbank Elementary School Burbank Elementary School Education Garden Burbank, California Elizabeth Gourley Design recently completed the Burbank Elementary School Education Garden, an outdoor classroom where hands-on learning and environmental stewardship grow hand in hand. Located in the center of Newton, the features a relatively passive gathering of native plants, education stations, and sustainable design elements. Constructed out of locally-sourced cedar, the raised vegetable beds in the garden are actually pressure-treated and, therefore, will last a very long time yet keep the fresh feel of wood. Permeable pavers create ADA-compliant pathways for little learners to travel while performing stormwater management and runoff reduction. An actively used pollinator garden, full of native wildflowers, draws all those insects who help pollinate, and gives kids a headstart in learning those vital cogs in the wheel of ecology. The garden had to be beautifully designed, simulation created one of the major challenges was to be integrated in that educational content in a beautiful way. Through a series of interactive stations, such as kids placed in a sensory garden and a composting plot, our team designed a way for students to directly interact and engage with nature to learn sustainability. The careful distribution of seating areas invites outdoor gatherings and community-oriented work, turning the garden into a gathering place of sorts. We brainstormed solution to address unforeseen site drainage issues to implement an effective bioswale system combining water management with biodiversity growth in the same space. The end product is a flourishing Education Garden that balances functionality and beauty pleasing students, teachers and the surrounding community. The Burbank Elementary School Education Garden is a remarkable display of quality craftsmanship and innovative landscaping solutions by Elizabeth Gourley Design. The site sensitively enhances the exterior spaces of the school while also cultivating a spirit of stewardship, discovery and matter-of-fact learning from nature a treasured addition to the Burbank landscape.