Welcome to the PS9 Brooklyn School Garden Committee!
Our garden is more than just a green space – it's a living laboratory where students and community members learn about the intricate web of life that connects us with plants, pollinators, decomposers, birds, and other wildlife.
The PS9 Garden Committee, which includes students, parents, and teachers, is dedicated to increasing the diversity of native plants in our garden and building habitats that support local birds and insects and enhance biodiversity. We're proud to have initiated the Brooklyn Public School Pollinators network, working towards our shared goal of connecting native habitats to support native wildlife across our borough.
We take PS9's motto "pollinating positivity" literally! We advocate for a native plant-filled city that supports our local pollinators and wildlife, strengthening ecosystems, growing climate resilience, and rebuilding native biodiversity – one plant at a time.
The Garden Committee maintains our gardens year-round, organizes work days and native plant sales, supports teachers in using the garden as an outdoor classroom, and facilitates nature-based, hands-on learning for the entire community. We apply for grants, source plants, and nurture an increasingly biodiverse garden. There are many ongoing projects and endless potential for growth.
Whether your thumb is green or black, we welcome all volunteers! Bring your family and help our garden thrive. Join us in nurturing this special space where curiosity blooms and young minds grow alongside our plants.
PS9's Native Plant & Bake Sale
PS9's Garden now has an iNaturalist project: PS9 Brooklyn Native Habitat Garden
Download the iNaturalist app and your family’s observations of plants and wildlife at PS9 can contribute to science that scientists and PS9 students can utilize. iNaturalist, is an online biodiversity citizen science platform contributed to by millions of users across the globe. The platform is free to use and accessible through an internet browser or as a mobile app.
Curious why PS9’s 2nd graders are asking you to Leave the Leaves?
🌎 Leaves are a crucial component of a healthy ecosystem, supporting biodiversity and climate resilience.
Why?
🍁 Leaves are nature’s mulch and fertilizer. They keep moisture in the soil, protect root systems through winter and decompose into nutrients for the soil and plant life.
🌧 Leaves absorb water, preventing runoff and flooding.
🦋 Leaves provide crucial habitat for beneficial insects and wildlife, including fireflies, bees, butterflies, birds, box turtles and frogs.
Did You Know?
🐛 Over 94% of butterflies and moths spend winter amongst the leaves as eggs, pupae, or adults, vital for their life cycle.
🪺 Around 95% of North American terrestrial birds rely on insects, especially caterpillars, to raise their young.
What Is At Risk?
🍂 When we remove all the fallen leaves, we destroy the habitat of many beneficial insects and kill the next generation of butterflies and moths, which means less food for birds, fewer pollinators and declining wildlife populations.
But - You Can Help!
✅ Leave leaves where they fall on soil.
🧹 Gently move sidewalk leaves to tree beds or garden beds. 3-5” of leaves is the sweet spot.
💦 Water the leaves in the tree beds to stop them from flying in the wind.
💚 If there are extra leaves, pile them in a garden corner or give them to your local community garden to use as compost or mulch.
More info coming soon
We're learning so much and have lots more to share. Come back soon!