Phoenix College beautifies their parking lot with native pollinators and shade trees
WMG and ASU brought the hands-on Storm Smart Schools program to Phoenix College and transformed a hot, bare part of the Phoenix College campus into a vibrant pollinator and shade garden.
Baboquivari High School – 2024
Located in the Tohono O’odham Nation district of Baboquivari in the community of Topawa West of Baboquivari mountains, home of I’itoi in the Bi-national Sonoyta watershed. The emphasis of this rain garden is to incorporate cultural elements of the native plants that are present in Baboquivari mountain range. These cultural plants provide materials for baskets, painting and medicinal uses such as devils claw, bear grass, and desert willows to mention a few. We conducted the educational components of the rain garden for the whole school with around 130 students and teachers participating. A design charrette was conducted and implementation of the rain garden may take place in 2025. This school is also sponsored by FMI.
Greenway Elementary School – 2024
Located in Bisbee, AZ and sponsored by Freeport Mcmoran (FMI), this rain garden was retrofitted with two 3,000 gallon tanks to irrigate a vegetable garden and establish around 60 plants. Around 50 volunteers from students-parents-staff of Greenway and FMI participated in the installation. 120 students participated in the classroom educational section of watershed health and rain gardens.
Prince Elementary School – 2024
About 40 volunteers, including students, parents, community members, and St. Philips Church members created a rain garden at Prince Elementary School. This project was funded by the Creation Funds from the Episcopal Church that St Philips and WMG applied for. Over 60 plants were planted and 10 rain garden kits distributed.
JB Wright Elementary School – 2024
Over 30 students-parents and staff participating in the installation of the Rain Garden. Around 120 students participated in the educational session of the rain gardens and watershed health. Around 40 plants were planted.
Train the Rain Trainer in Ambos Nogales – 2024
We trained 35 Nogales and Hermosillo teachers on rain water harvesting. Seven schools will be enhancing and implementing rain gardens in Nogales, Sonora in March 2025.
Train the Trainer in Tijuana – 2024
We established a new partnership with EcoFrontera and we conducted a rainwater harvesting train the trainers approach with teachers of Tijuana schools. Thirty teachers participated including local authorities from the Tijuana school districts and county. Trainees, WMG staff, and the EcoFrontera team built a rain garden at one of the schools - it was raining when we finished the rain garden! As a result of the training, teachers and their students built 6 rain gardens in 6 different schools.
