PIKE SCHOOLS PARTNERSHIP

In 2018, our partnership with MSD was made official by the action of the school board. Since that time, we have worked
with the schools to educate students about a sustainable world. These efforts have resulted in several projects.

Earth Day Tree planting

Beginning in 2019, we have conducted a “One Tree - One School” tree planting at each of the schools as well as the Administrative Services Center. Each year on Earth Day or a date close to it, a group of students studies trees, develops a planting ritual, often names the tree and then plants the trees with the help of our trained tree experts. With a year off for Covid, there have been tree plantings every year since 2019. If you look around any of the schools, you will see a growing number of trees from this project.

Students learn the importance of trees for a healthy environment. Students have a great day planting the tree and also make an investment in their future. One Pike freshman, upon learning that the tree she was planting would live for 80 years or so, commented, “Cool! I’m going to bring my kids here and tell them I planted that tree.

The Earth Day observance was initiated by Resilient Pike who provided resources for studying trees, arranged for the acquisition of the trees and their delivery and provided trained experts to guide the tree planting.

Each year we create an outdoor classroom. We make presentations to students to teach about sustainability.

A growing body of research shows that children need time outside and especially among trees. It improves their concentration and their general health. The benefits for ADHD are especially dramatic. In the fall of 2022, Resilient Pike proposed an outdoor classroom be constructed at one of the schools as a pilot project. The board approved this project and New Augusta South Academy enthusiastically volunteered to be the site of the first classroom. In the spring of 2023, guided by Resilient Pike, the grass was cleared, and students and their parents, faculty, neighbors, gathered to provide the labor. Mulch was laid down and tree “cookies” (sections of tree trunks - large ones for the desk and small ones for the chairs) were painted first with primer and then with colorful tops. Additionally, no fewer than 23 trees were planted around the classroom to provide both shade and a healthy environment. The result was an amazing space for the students.

The following year, this was repeated at Eastbrook Elementary with similar results.

With the school’s approval, we intend to create an outdoor classroom at each of the Pike schools.

third grade farm to table program

Resilient Pike partnered with Eastbrook Elementary to expand the “Farm to Table” curriculum. Students learned about how a seed becomes a plant, what is needed for a plant to grow, and even got to take home their own bean plant to watch it grow.

Tree Planting Grants

Until recently, the half mile stretch of Rodebaugh Road in front of the two New Augusta schools was a barren landscape with grass and not much else. Then Resilient Pike applied for and received a grant from Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and all that changed. Now both sides of Rodebaugh Road are lined with a variety of native trees that in years to come will, as the trees mature, create a tree-lined avenue, adding beauty, cleaning the air and reducing noise. The same grant also led to trees along both 62nd St and 56th St. in front of Snacks Crossing Elementary School.

Resilient Pike is awaiting word on another grant from Keep Indianapolis Beautiful to plant trees along 79th St. If the grant is awarded, that street will be transformed in an area west of Michigan Road.

CREATION CARE AMBASSADORs

Churches in Pike are a major part of our community life and provide leadership to community residents. Increasingly, churches and other faith groups are realizing the importance of being faithful stewards of
God’s creation. Adopting environmentally responsible practices as well as encouraging church members to do the same is an important ministry for many churches.

This is an effort to encourage faith communities to become more proactive in dealing with issues of climate change, to provide resources, and to celebrate the accomplishments of churches that are taking
significant steps. It is focused on the four E’s: Education, Energy, Equity, and Ecology. If you are a faith organization in Pike Township wanting to get information on becoming more environmentally sustainable,
please contact Rev. Carlos Perkins.

Why I am Involved with Resilient Pike

As someone who works in the community as the Trustee, I am committed to environmental sustainability for Pike Township. Many people are wondering what they can do to have a positive impact on the environment. People are scared about the future of our public lands and climate change. Resilient Pike works to reach the community to drive change that requires not only doing environmental initiatives well, but protecting our natural resources and ensuring sustainability for future generations.

If we don’t drive awareness, we’re not driving change in the world we live in.

-Pike Township Trustee Annette Johnson – Resilient Pike Member.

So many factors are needed for quality of life in a community. Working with Resilient Pike brings value through engaged youth who are stewards of our township’s natural resources and faith institutes to address food insecurities. Together we can do so much and these connections enhance our quality of life and build on other initiatives locally, regionally and globally to address the Earth Charter mission.

-Carol Mullins - Community Advocate & Capacity Builder

Think globally, act locally. We work to educate ourselves and our neighbors to make very localized changes that have a positive impact globally.

-Katie Booth

To build in our small way a closer knit, more connected and stronger community for my two children and all the other children in the township.

-Ryan Mendenhall

Global warming and environmental degradation deeply threaten our future. Working with Resilient Pike allows me the opportunity to take meaningful and effective action to create a better world. I want my grandchildren to tell their grandchildren that I fought hard to bring them a healthy and sustainable world.

-Richard Clough

Get involved

For more information on how to volunteer with Resilient Pike, contact Richard Clough at richardclough5@gmail.com or 317-615-9879 or follow us on Facebook.

founded in 2017 by John Gibson, We are a volunteer group consisting of Pike residents concerned about the future.

The mission of Resilient Pike is to encourage, enable, support and celebrate environmentally sustainable practices in Pike Township.