For the Birds! Greenpoint at P.S. 110 The Monitor School

Project Lead:	Audubon New York
2014 Project Partners:	P.S. 110 The Monitor; NYC Department of Parks and Recreation; and McGolrick Park Neighborhood Alliance
2015 Project Partners:	P.S. 110 The Monitor; McGolrick Park Neighborhood Alliance; Prospect Park Alliance; Prospect Park Audubon Center; Greenpoint Eco-Schools; NYC Compost Project; North Brooklyn Parks Alliance, formerly Open Space Alliance for North Brooklyn; and The Horticultural Society of New York
Project Location:	124 Monitor Street; and Monsignor McGolrick Park
Total GCEF Funding:	$76,700

2014 GCEF Grant:	$24,857	2015 GCEF Grant:	$51,843
Total Matching Contributions:	$42,150
2014 Matching Contribution:	$15,815	2015 Matching Contribution:	$26,335
TOTAL INVESTMENT:	$118,850
2014 & 2015 Projects Completed:	July 2017

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

In 2014, through a competitive grant process, Audubon New York, a state program of the National Audubon Society, received a $24,857 GCEF grant (and provided $15,815 in matching funds) to implement a “For the Birds!” environmental education program at P.S. 110 The Monitor. For the Birds! is an innovative program that promotes learning in the sciences and language arts, as well as community engagement, among young students. The For the Birds! Greenpoint program was implemented in five third-grade classrooms from April to December 2014. In the classroom, students learned about basic bird biology, adaptation, migration, mechanics of flight, and other topics. The program content made critical connections to science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts as well as the language arts. The program moved between the classroom and Monsignor McGolrick Park, where native habitat sites in the park served as focal points for students to learn about science concepts, ecosystem processes, and the bird and other wildlife species that rely upon urban green spaces.

After another competitive process, Audubon New York received an additional GCEF grant of $51,843 (and provided $26,335 in matching funds) to continue and expand the For the Birds! Greenpoint program at P.S. 110 in 2015. Project activities added with the additional funding included creating a new school garden, and delivering adult and family-focused environmental education workshops for Greenpoint residents. The 2015 For the Birds! program was implemented in third- and fourth-grade classrooms in Spring 2016, and in the fall and spring of 2017.

PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Engaged 224 total students at P.S. 110 The Monitor in the program for a total of over 2,475 environmental education hours
Planted approximately 300 native plants in McGolrick Park (in conjunction with For the Birds! Greenpoint at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy) and 302 native plants in the habitat garden at P.S. 110
Demonstrated an increase in students’ bird knowledge; a positive change in attitude towards birds and the environment; and an increase in stewardship ethic and desire to help birds thrive locally as found in students’ post-project evaluations
Held 6 workshops for adults, with 54 people in total attending, on topics such as local birding, composting in Greenpoint, and identifying native plants
Recruited and trained 7 local residents as program volunteers, who assisted in the creation of a bird-friendly native habitat garden on school grounds (in conjunction with For the Birds! Greenpoint at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Academy)