By Nicole Breskin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
GREENWICH VILLAGE — Bats, birds, butterflies and more will make their homes in a one-of-a-kind eco-friendly science lab to be built on the roof of a Greenwich Village elementary school.
P.S. 41 unveiled designs for its new $1.7-million rooftop “environmental literacy lab” — which is unique in its design and scale for a New York City public school — on Tuesday at the West 11th Street school.
“This will set a precedent for what is possible,” said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer at the unveiling. “Learning shouldn’t be limited to the classroom, so I’m thrilled to be able to support a project that moves lessons off the blackboard and onto the rooftop.”
Called the Greenroof Environmental Literacy Laboratory, the facility will feature plants, insects and wildlife from a mix of habitats as well as learning space to teach lessons in urban sustainability, farm-to-table agriculture and environmental stewardship.
“I’m hoping this will end the rumor that urban centers are not environmental hubs,” said City Council Speaker Christine Quinn at the event. “This new roof is going to create so many more scientists.”
P.S. 41’s new roof space will add an estimated 15,000 square feet of green space to the Village — one of the least park-filled areas in Manhattan.
The eastern portion of the roof will include a fenced-in observational learning space, while the western section will house wildlife habitats. Construction is set to begin this spring.
“This will build upon that sense of wonder children experience,” P.S. 41 principal Kelly Shannon said. “It will teach children to never stop questioning the world around them.”
The lab is the brainchild of Vicki Sando, who began a gardening program at P.S. 41 in spring 2003, and school alumnus and parent Christopher Hayes.
“Kids today think vegetables come out of shrink-wrap packages instead of the ground,” Sando said. “They need to get their hands in the dirt.”
The project’s costs have been underwritten by the offices of Stringer, Quinn and State Senator Thomas Duane, along with donations from foundations and the school community.
P.S. 41, a kindergarten through fifth-grade school, is still seeking additional funds. Contact the school to donate.
