Andrea Gatt and Laura Bartoli, the two PTA members who spearheaded Green Hope Elementary’s Falcon’s Nest project, never once questioned their ability to provide students and faculty with a 100% sustainable, STEM-focused outdoor classroom.
“I believed in this project from the minute we had the drawings from our landscape architect,” said Gatt. “I really, truly believed in it, and I never thought for a minute that we were not going to be able to do it.”
As far as motivation goes, Gatt and Bartoli had plenty of it — both are mothers of three who saw firsthand the negative impacts that Covid had on children and schools when it first reared its ugly head. In 2020, the idea of a beautiful educational space where children could experience fresh air and mindfulness seemed like a pipe dream — but both Gatt and Bartoli were set on making it a reality with the help of the PTA, teachers, school administration, and the community at large.
“We became a Bring Your Own Device school, and keeping up with changing technology proved to be a losing battle,” said Kristin Walker, principal of Green Hope Elementary. “Our community values science, and we realized that this is a project that our community, teachers, students, and families would value greatly. From there, a team made up of teachers from each grade level partnered with our PTA to identify common strands throughout the curriculum. That informed what learning stations would be put in the Falcon’s Nest.”
Falcon’s Nest serves as a multifunctional space for play, learning, and school/community events.
Although Gatt and Bartoli planted the seed, it was truly a communal effort that allowed it to sprout and grow over the next three years. Despite having full-time jobs, many PTA members and parents incorporated their professional skills to help make Falcon’s Nest a reality. Suzanne Robottom assembled teachers for an academic committee to help identify innovative learning initiatives that would be useful to the school. Amy Bates, who works in sales, ran the fundraising committee by identifying key prospects and presenting the project to anyone who showed interest. Jennifer Evangelist, a designer at RDU, created marketing materials and helped with fundraising, construction design, and permitting questions.
“So many amazing women contributed to this project,” said Gatt. “These women are working parents, but also passionate volunteers who are striving to make Cary a more beautiful place.”
Helen Keller once said, “Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much.” If this story teaches you anything, let it be this — to never question what a group of committed women are capable of. Within a few months, the fundraising team had raised $70K with funds from local businesses, grants, and donations, and that number has only grown. The outdoor planning committee hired Timmons Group, a civil engineering firm, and construction began in 2021. The first step was the shelter, funded by a $15,000 GO (Go Outside) grant from the NC Outdoor Heritage Advisory Council. Other key donations came rolling in from many local businesses — Dan Ryan Builders, TowneBank, and Bovenizer & Baker, to name a few — with GreenView Partners and SiteOne Landscape Supply providing all the landscaping and pipes for a drip irrigation system.
“We were able to landscape the entire project,” said Gatt. “They ripped everything out, put in Bermuda grass just to make everything low maintenance and native to NC. It was probably $30K just from SiteOne and GreenView. So it’s the donations, it’s the grants, it’s the small fundraisers from families — that’s what made all of this possible.”
Some of the PTA volunteers who have helped build Falcon’s Nest at Green Hope Elementary are, from left, Andrea Gatt, Jennifer Evangelist, Erika Lipkin, Maura Allain, Principal Kristin Walker, Sweta Wani, Laura Bartoli, and Emily Winberry.
At just under 12,000 square feet, with a few areas left open for future growth, Falcon’s Nest now sits proudly at the entrance of the school, so that every visitor, walker, bus rider, and car rider can pass by and appreciate it. Peace poles, decorated with NC environmental themes, adorn the beautifully landscaped space — all painted by honors students at Green Hope High School. Solar panels sit on top of the structure, powering all irrigation, lights, and a fan.
“It’s super cool for the kids to learn about, and we’re going to have a sign talking about reusable energy and encouraging it,” said Bartoli. “We wanted it to be really spectacular, and we certainly couldn’t have done it without the school and the staff that we have.”
One staff member in particular is Lissy Wood, Green Hope’s instructional facilitator and literacy coach, who has been instrumental in encouraging academic and teacher integration. “There are a lot of schools that have outdoor spaces and learning stations, but the piece that I’m most impressed with as an educator is how they have made it usable for teachers in many different aspects,” said Wood. “It’s used for graduations, performances, PTA meetings, as an extra space to have a snack or read, or just a place to get some fresh air. It’s very multifunctional.”
Although the grounds are complete, the project is far from over. New partnerships are constantly forming to further the academic potential of Falcon’s Nest. Lulu Junior, a local self-publishing company, is producing nature journals to encourage observation skills, and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is assisting with a grounds workshop for teachers. Other thoughtful and educational additions to the space include a weather station, complete with a thermometer, barometer, anemometer, weather vane, and rain gauge; two root viewers, offering double-sided viewing windows so the kids can see what is happening above and below ground as plants are growing; and balance beams, to demonstrate parallel versus perpendicular and serve as a measurement tools for distance and differing heights (plus, they’re just fun)!
“Already, engaging in this project has brought our whole community together,” said Principal Walker. “We have been able to build on the strengths and interests of parents and staff to make this dream a reality. Some folks have lent a hand with project management; others have assisted with fundraising. Local businesses have been generous with their support, and Wake County Public Schools has supported these efforts. I know the Falcon’s Nest will be a source of pride for our community for years to come.”
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