 Construction started in July on Greenfield Elementary School's first phase of greening construction. Preparation for the installation of a rain garden and pervious play area on the west half of the south play yard is already underway. 230 tons of existing asphalt, fill, and catch basins will be removed and replaced with a landscaped swale and porous play surface. The new surface and configuration will capture and divert rainwater from 15,000sf of existing asphalt to recharge the rain garden instead of overflowing into the municipal storm sewer. To shade the remaining paved  playground, 26 trees will be planted. Recycled cut and natural stone salvaged from nearby construction projects at the Philadelphia Art Museum and the Philadelphia Zoo will be landscape features in the rain garden. Four new pieces of play equipment will be installed in the porous play surface. This first phase of construction, not including the plantings, is scheduled to be completed two weeks after school starts.
In the second phase, an undulating play area and rain garden in the east side of the south play yard will capture the remaining 7,500sf of rainwater run off from the existing asphalt play ground. This next phase of construction is scheduled to take place during the summer of 2010. The final phases, the Secret Garden, the Chestnut Street raised plant bed improvements, the green roof, and photo-voltaics, will be funded in following years.
 Ultimately, these improvements to the grounds of Greenfield School will expose students to the concepts of environmental stewardship and energy conservation. The integration into the urban landscape of these physical demonstrations that will teach children about micro-climates, indigenous plants, rain water absorption, and energy harvesting, will serve as a model for building sustainability into the curriculum of elementary school education.
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