This planting season, our team at the Contra Costa Resource Conservation District (CCRCD) has been busy working with students and staff from Pittsburg Unified School District (PUSD) to bring more native plants to schools. We began partnering with the PUSD Edible Garden Resource Center (part of the PUSD’s Child Nutrition Department) in 2024 to implement pollinator gardens, and it has been rewarding to see how each project has helped students connect with nature. Building on that success, we expanded our efforts this year to establish a new pollinator garden at Parkside Elementary School.

The proposed garden site at Parkside Elementary initially stood out as a long, compacted strip of bare soil beside the playground, showing little life but plenty of potential. To prepare it for planting, our crew of CCRCD staff and California Climate Action Corps Fellows teamed up with PUSD staff to remove weeds, pick up litter, and spread mulch. A few weeks later, we returned with shovels, trays of native plants, and were met by a very enthusiastic group of fifth graders ready to bring the garden to life.

Before getting started, we led a planting demonstration and showed students how to dig holes to the right depth, loosen pot-bound roots, plant natives, and water the plants properly. Together, we planted a hedgerow kit of 90 native plants provided by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation. It was amazing to see how quickly the students caught on and how engaged they were throughout the process. Many students asked thoughtful questions about pollinators, shared which native plants they liked best, and got excited at the sight of worms moving through the soil. By the end of the day, what had started as a bare patch of soil had been transformed into a brand new pollinator garden buzzing with life.

For this project, it was especially important for our team to involve students because it allowed them to see firsthand how their actions were creating real habitat right next to their playground. Native plants not only provide habitat but also support biodiversity and make outdoor spaces more resilient and beautiful. Through planting and engaging with nature, students gain a deeper understanding of this process and learn how small actions can make a lasting difference for the environment and their community.

A huge thank you to PUSD, the Xerces Society, and the Parkside fifth graders for bringing so much energy, curiosity, and excitement to the project!