Mill Valley School District, Mill Valley, Marin County
The Strawberry Point School was reopened after being decommissioned for 10 years due to low enrollment. During the time of closure, a number of maintenance items were deferred, including operation of the irrigation system and clearing of the catch basins. As a result, the play field began to hold winter rains and the turf grass died. Upon reopening, a state agency deemed the poorly draining field a “degraded seasonal wetland” which inspired the Strawberry Point School PTA to develop a new educational program. This program included a new, well-drained play field, restoration of the school’s unusual tidal wetland, and construction of a new seasonal wetland. Seating areas for outdoor classrooms were strategically located for the students to observe wetland activity without disturbance to wildlife. With the help of parents and faculty, an on-site nursery was created to raise salt water species that the students cultivate and plant in the wetlands. A new 500-foot long levee separates the tidal wetland from the school and includes a viewing pathway which is now part of the Bay Trail system.
