Harwich Elementary School will be welcoming a place for area birds and other wildlife in their newly updated garden courtyard. The fourth-graders at the elementary school have been working hard to build, paint, and install a dozen birdhouses in the school’s courtyard garden. Through a collaborative partnership with local businesses and organizations, the school garden has been recertified as a National Wildlife Federation Schoolyard Habitat. The students researched native birds and their habitats in class with the help of The Garden Club of Harwich who shared valuable knowledge on various types of birdhouses to attract different species. Polhemus Savery DaSilva Architects Builders donated their time and helped students construct and install the birdhouses with materials donated by Shepley Wood Products.
The birdhouses are the latest development in the ongoing Harwich Elementary School Courtyard project. Over the past few years, students have also cleaned out the courtyard, created raised garden beds, and added tables with the help of O’Leary Landscaping and the Harwich PTO. Shepley is proud to be a part of this community collaboration of shared knowledge, expertise, and teamwork to revitalize the courtyard. “When I was talking to the fourth grade students, the most important message I wanted them to understand was that by working together as a community, we can achieve great things to make the world a better place” says Mary Oldach, Principal, Harwich Elementary School.
