Last week we had the pleasure of checking out the One Planet--Ours! Sustainability for the 22nd Century installation at the United States Botanic Garden just a stones throw from the Capitol in Washington, DC. Despite the odd name (isn't sustainability for the 21st century hard enough?) the federally-funded exhibit offered a dazzling array of inspiring eco demonstration projects, including the kinds of energy technologies the current administration and government has done so little to support.

One of the many cool exhibits was Sustainable Schoolyards, sponsored by Friends of Smart Growth and Sustainable Communities, which showcased outdoor classroom concepts and ecological teaching tools suitable for almost any schoolyard.

The Sustainable Schoolyard exhibit demonstrated how solar power, water conservation, edible gardens, wildlife habitat, green building, and waste recycling can be used to teach science, math, art, and many other subjects. Designed by Bay Tree Design, Inc. of Berkeley, CA, the ecological classroom is based on the success of schools around the country including Berkeley's own Edible Schoolyard.

The One Planet installation is open and free to the public until October 13, 2008 at 100 Maryland Avenue, SW at the west side of the U.S. Capitol. We'll have more coverage of some of the best exhibits the installation next week. :: Sustainable Schoolyards, One Planet-Ours

More on Ecological Schoolyards:

Kids Take a Bite Out of Local Schoolyard
Group Greens California's Inner-City Schools in Offbeat Way
TreeHugger Goes Back to School

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