Bose Elementary School to benefit from SC Johnson grant

Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network is pleased to announce it has received a grant from SC Johnson to support the Pollinator Patch Program at Bose Elementary School in Kenosha.

The $5,600 from SC Johnson will be used to fund the design and installation of a 1,000 square foot Pollinator Patch on the Bose school grounds. This patch will be a living outdoor classroom, offering educational opportunities for over 400 Bose students, right outside their schoolroom doors. This project is scheduled to begin in March of 2022 and will include coordination, site preparation, planting and working with Bose educators on curriculum implementation.

Pollinator Patches provide a variety of ecosystem benefits, from stormwater infiltration and reintroduction of native habitat to urban heat island relief. These patches recreate essential habitat necessary for the survival of the federally endangered Rusty Patched Bumble Bee as well as many other native pollinators.

The Pollinator Patch Program aims to address underserved areas of the Root-Pike basin. Each patch offers myriad educational opportunities for students, faculty, and neighbors to learn about and connect with healthy and resilient habitats. This program also serves the local community by providing a diverse and functional neighborhood green space.

Program manager Nan Calvert expressed her gratitude for receiving the generous grant from SC Johnson.

“Root-Pike WIN is grateful to SC Johnson for their support of the Pollinator Patch Program,” she said. “When this project comes to fruition, the result will be a vital, living legacy that enhances, strengthens, and supports climate change resilience and quality of life for this underserved Kenosha community. Our hope, our goal is that the students of Bose and the people of this neighborhood will regard this project as a valuable feature in their neighborhood.”

Bose Principal Susan Mozinski added: “I hope this project will inspire the next generation of environmental stewards and make Bose Elementary School a flagship for other schools to emulate. With Root-Pike WIN’s guidance, I feel confident that we can make that come to fruition.”

Mozinski and Regional Coordinator of Elementary School Leadership Wendy Tindall, made a joint statement expressing that “Bose Elementary School is eager to partner with the Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network to bring this educational experience to our student community through the many unique opportunities this project offers. Under the guidance of our student leaders, we look forward to accessing the Pollinator Patch Program in a variety of ways and are excited to see where this partnership leads us in the future.”

“I hope this project will inspire the next generation of environmental stewards and make Bose Elementary School a flagship for other schools to emulate.”

– Susan Mozinski, Bose Elementary School principal

Mozinski and Tindall have approved the project and are excited for it to begin next spring.

Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network Inc. is a 501(c)3 non-profit that restores, protects, and sustains the Root-Pike basin by building partnerships to advance projects that benefit some of the most degraded watersheds in Wisconsin.