In order to make Boston Latin School s garden even more sustainable, we want to build a rain catchment system for it. This will allow the garden to

Transcription

1 In order to make Boston Latin School s garden even more sustainable, we want to build a rain catchment system for it. This will allow the garden to harness natural rain instead of using the school s water, which amounts to approximately 550 liters a week in usage. In order to do this, a team of 6 students from Mr. Gay s Environmental Science class will be brought in to help build the system as their final project for the school year. Once the materials have been brought together, preparations done, and construction finally completed, we will contact other schools and host tours and presentations with their students in order to teach others about water sustainability in their own school gardens and to hopefully give them the idea to build their own system. This project is proposing $ in spending on channel drains, pine boards, bamboo poles, screws, mesh, an acrylic sheet, and refreshments for those who will be building during construction mostly materials for the system itself. The goals are to not only have it built, but to spread the idea to other schools so that they might also get their own and save water, thus promoting water sustainability to their own students. To evaluate this project, we will have the rain catchment system, and we will also conduct surveys on the 6 students from Mr. Gay s class and students from other schools whom we talk to on their experience/what they learned and how they might apply it. As a way of summarizing this project we will also collect data on how much water the rain catchment system is collecting and how much water it is saving the school, and make posters to put up with this data. Ultimately, the aim is educate others about water conservation and what they can do using the rain catchment system as a means to do so.

2 Statement of Need Boston Latin School s garden has to be watered every week using a hose attached to the school s water supply. This is contradictory to the sustainability goal of the garden, since 1) a hose uses approximately 1100 liters an hour, and it takes half an hour to water the garden (making water usage at least 550 liters every week), and 2) the spigot that the hose attaches to leaks when in use, which wastes even more water. Therefore, there is a need to conserve school water to truly make the garden sustainable. There is also a need to do this by making a rain catchment system that is, making the garden even more sustainable by using natural rainwater as an alternative source of water. Most of all, there is a need to educate others about water sustainability about the system itself and, through that, the idea of water conservation. Sources: Program Description

3 There are already plans for the rain catchment system thanks to the interns who worked in the garden over the summer, as well as two rain catchment barrels and an automatic solar pump provided by BLS YouthCAN. Therefore, what has to be done next are: getting together a team this team will include those willing to physically build the rain catchment system (Mindy) and those who will work on outreach, which will be explained later (Lily and Annalise) the building team will consist of Mindy, Annalise, Lily, and 6 other students who will be recruited from the Environmental Science class at BLS, taught by Mr. Gay, to build the rain catchment system as one of their projects at the end of the school year (May/June). Mr. Gay has already given his permission. the building team will have to recruit the help of volunteer parents who would like to help out or for harder tasks that students may not be able to do in terms of technical skill (Annalise) Green City Growers, who regularly help with garden maintenance/projects, may send some faculty over to assist in construction getting together materials those involved with building the rain catchment system will find materials for its construction, which will include wood, nails, poles, and gutters (Mindy) preparing for construction more detailed plans have to be made from the preexisting ones drawn by garden interns, including specific measurements and steps on how to build certain structures (Lily) all materials and hardware must be gathered (Annalise) plans must be properly distributed among the team (Annalise) specific days for construction must be chosen (Lily) construction over a period of a two weeks (projected), the rain catchment system will be built work will be divided among team members and structural parts outreach BLS YouthCAN will post additional information on the project in conjunction with water conservation information, and will connect the two on the same page (note: there is already a page on the rain catchment system at ystem.html) we will contact at least 3 other schools (especially ones that also have gardens) and show them our rain catchment system, and suggest that they also build one (and if so, we will help them with our experience); we will have BLS YouthCAN mention the rain catchment system in all their upcoming presentations in other schools large weatherproof signs describing the system and its role in water conservation at Boston Latin School will be made and placed outside next to the system for any passing pedestrians to stop and read. In addition, similar signs will be made and posted inside the school.

4 we will contact Phoebe Bierle, the Sustainability Coordinator for Boston Public Schools, to help us contact the Boston Water and Sewer Commission to help us publicize the rain catchment system the rain catchment system has and will be mentioned in competitions BLS YouthCAN has been entering (Lexus I Land and Water Eco Challenge) in turn, information provided by YouthCAN, including slides on the rain catchment system, will be posted on those website (see and in turn, YouthCAN s website is visited, where information on the rain catchment system is posted we will contact Generation Citizen, a group that gets kids involved with projects, and suggest the rain catchment system project to them at the annual MIT Sustainability Summit, we will have our own booth on the rain catchment system with the permission of the Earth Science teachers, we will give their students a tour of the garden and system explaining water conservation

5 Goals have the garden be watered on captured rainwater instead of Boston Latin School s tap water demonstrate to others conservation by using what would otherwise be lost rain water; making use of what others consider of no importance (i.e. rain) build the rain catchment system by the end of the school year spread the word to other schools that also have gardens; conduct school visits, tours, and presentations of the rain catchment system and its link to the garden; promote the installation of their own system and explain how it saves water; if they are willing, teach others how to build their own system promote water conservation

6 Budget Channel Drains $ ($49.98/each x 19 drains = $949.62) 2. Whitewood Pine Board $ ($16.48/each x 52 boards = $856.96) 3. Bamboo Poles $39.97 ($39.97/25pole bundle x 1 bundle = $39.97) ZincPlated Steel FlatHead Phillips Wood Screws $5.98 ($5.98/50nail box x 1 box = $5.98) 5. Poultry Fence (mesh) $19.77 ($19.77/roll x 1 roll = $19.77) 6. Acrylic Sheet $97.96 ($97.96/sheet x 1 sheet = $97.96) 7. Refreshments for Team during construction $36.00 ($3/person x 12 people = $36.00) 8. Signs $ ($71.99/24 x36 indoor poster x 3 posters + *$10.00/sq. ft. x 6 sq. ft./poster x 3 posters = $395.57) * This is a projected price for posters, the actual price will vary based on ink colors, different finishes, amount of lettering, etc. TOTAL: $ Note: Many of these materials are priced based on The Home Depot website, and were chosen out of others in terms of outdoor versatility. Minor hardware needs such as screwdrivers or hammers will be brought from home by students.

7 Evaluation by the end of the school year, we will have a new, working rain catchment system in the BLS garden we will conduct surveys with the 6 students from Mr. Gay s Environmental Science class about their experience doing this project, as well as what they learned; give the same survey to the students of the Earth Science teachers (if applicable) host at least three presentations, tours, or school visits with students from other schools with gardens, and encourage them to build their own rain catchment system; give them the same survey on what they learned and if they would try to apply what they learned to their own schools prepare a stepbystep plan on building a rain catchment system for any students in other schools who may want to build their own as a project there will be clear, concise posters on the system both outside and inside Boston Latin School explaining its use and connection to water sustainability collect data on the rain catchment system itself (e.g. how much water it will have collected in two weeks) and create a poster on how much water the school is saving to put up in Boston Latin School; if possible, the number of visits to the rain catchment system on YouthCAN s website will be logged to record the number of visitors