Participating Schools

If you're interested in volunteering in 2021, Sign up to volunteer here. Please contact RobbK@piercecd.org for more information.

Orcas Love Raingardens works with schools across Tacoma to install and maintain educational and interactive raingardens. Our vision is for every Tacoma Public Schools student and their family to have access to a raingarden, Since our first project in 2018, we’ve planted thousands of plants, engaged hundreds of students, and have grown to over 13 schools and counting!

Baker Excavation

Schools currently enrolled in Orcas Love Raingardens, as of May 2021:

Baker Middle School
Blix Elementary School
Fern Hill Elementary School
First Creek Middle School
IDEA Park Ave
Mary Lyon Elementary School
Reed Elementary School
Roosevelt Elementary School
Sherman Elementary School
Stafford Elementary School
Stewart Middle School
Wainwright Elementary School
Silas High School (formerly known as Wilson)

Coming soon:

We’re partnering with the Trust for Public Lands Green Schoolyards Program to build new raingardens at Stafford Elementary School and Reed Elementary School in 2021! In Spring 2021, students helped pick plants and design the raingarden and planting is expected to begin in Fall 2021.

2020 Projects

Like the rest of the world, 2020 presented unique and unforeseen challenges for Orcas Love Raingardens. With students out of the classroom, we had to get creative in how we would continue our plans to build two new raingardens and maintain the existing ones. We turned to the community and received an overwhelming amount of support! In 2020, with the help of many volunteers, Orcas Love Raingardens built two new raingardens at Blix Elementary School and First Creek Middle School, restored a raingarden at Wainwright Intermediate School, and pulled weeds and spread mulch at four other schools. In total, we planted 495 new plants with 130 volunteers in over two dozen volunteer shifts working at six schools.

Wainwright Intermediate School

If you’ve ever been to Wainwright, you probably noticed a very large overgrown raingardens in the middle of the parking lot and next to the front entrance. With the help of many volunteers, in 2020 we were able to rehabilitate the raingardens to increase their water treatment ability and make it easier to maintain for the school.

Baker Middle School

OLR started working with Baker Middle School in 2018 to update and replant their three raingardens. In 2020, we spread mulch and pulled many overgrown weeds.

Blix Elementary School

In Spring 2020, Orcas Love Raingardens installed a brand new raingarden at Blix Elementary School! The students helped design the raingarden with a special river rock feature and the Tacoma Urban League’s Environmental Justice Camp participants were able to help plant the raingarden.

First Creek Middle School

We partnered with the Trust for Public Lands to build a new raingarden at First Creek Middle School! The raingarden is just one element of the Trust for Public Land’s Green Schoolyards Program to improve access to green spaces for the community.