Capitol Hill Elementary School Seeking Volunteers for Garden, Playground Cleanup

A Northeast elementary school is planning a cleanup this weekend to prepare two outdoor spaces for spring activities.

Miner Elementary School (601 15th St. NE) has invited students, their families and neighbors to its a fall cleanup this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The project will address two outdoor spaces as part of an effort to prepare for the return of warmer weather and to get an early start on garden care, according to PTO Communications Chair Holly Harper.

“We are calling on our neighbors to help build something beautiful and green for our children,” Harper said in a statement.

The first space is an undeveloped piece of land along the early childhood playground. On Sunday, organizers hope to plant two or three trees there to provide shade for the playground, as well as act as a barrier between it and the edge of the school’s property.

Second, the school has garden beds for vegetables and flowers that need some repairs, cleaning and weeding before preparing the soil for winter and planting some spring flower bulbs.

In addition to volunteers, the project has relied on the help of donors. For example, Frager’s Hardware offered the school free and discounted plants, and the Department of Public Works provided tools and mulch.

However, Harper emphasized the outdoor work at Miner won’t end Monday. She hopes after the area is cleaned up, a garden club can organize in the spring to maintain the spaces more regularly.

“We are currently looking for a garden club coordinator and exploring our options to establish the program on an ongoing basis,” she said. “This is truly a community effort.”

Photo via DCPS