Building Environmental Awareness Through Science and Art

By Rebecca Reeves, Stormwater Education and Outreach Manager

Providence’s Sophia Academy and Central High School (New Urban Arts Knights), and Cranston’s Eden Park Elementary School participated again this year in the Stormwater in Schools initiative, led by staff from the Stormwater Innovation Center, Audubon, and Providence Urban Wildlife Conservation Partnership. Each year there is an art element included in the program, a project that students complete that complements their classroom and fieldtrip experiences learning about stormwater and green infrastructure. In 2024, students assembled and painted either birdhouses or pollinator boxes with “green roofs” on top - upcycled boxes with native sedum planted inside! Boxes will be placed at a variety of locations around the state to offer nesting sites for birds and pollinators, and some were raffled at Audubon’s Solstice Soiree event in June. Students also contributed text and drawings for educational signage that will be placed alongside the boxes to share their knowledge with the community on water quality, green infrastructure, and healthy wildlife habitat.

Images (top to bottom):

New Urban Arts Knights (Providence) complete their April school break “Stormwater in Schools” intensive program. Eden Park Elementary students (Cranston) marvel over a watershed model. Sophia Academy (Providence) students paint pollinator boxes and test out their stormwater filtration model.