Bay Tree Design, inc.2927 newbury street, suite b . berkeley . california . 94703 . www.baytreedesign.com . tel . 510.644.1320 . cla no. 5054

Asphalt to EcosystemsDesign Ideas for Schoolyard Transformation

By Sharon Gamson Danks, Principal, Bay Tree Design, inc.

Asphalt to Ecosystems is a comprehensive and inspiring look at the fl ourishing ecological schoolyard movement around the world, and a call for a paradigm shift in the way our society uses and manages school grounds. Illustrated with 500 vibrant, color photographs, the book takes readers on a journey to “visit” more than 150 exemplary school grounds across 11 countries. Written as a result of author Sharon Danks’s fi eld research and professional experience over a decade, Asphalt to Ecosystems presents ideas for enhancing children’s school grounds for learning, play, and ecology in a manner that expands our notion of what high quality schoolyards can be.

The book encourages schools to foster a sense of place by tailoring their grounds to their own unique physical and social contexts. Examples showcase some of the world’s most innovative green schoolyards including: edible gardens and outdoor cooking facilities; wildlife habitats that refl ect local ecosystems; schoolyard rainwater catchment systems and waste-water treatment wetlands; renewable energy systems; beautiful waste-as-a-resource and green building projects; K-12 curriculum connections; and creative play opportunities that entice children to explore the natural world. The book grounds these examples in a practical framework that schools can use to make their schoolyards more comfortable, enjoyable and sustainable.

Publication InformationNew Village Press, November 2010288 pages, 500 color photographs, index, bibliography, appendicesISBN-10 0-9766054-8-1, ISBN-13 978-0-9766054-8-5

Bay Tree Design, inc.2927 newbury street, suite b . berkeley . california . 94703 . www.baytreedesign.com . tel . 510.644.1320 . cla no. 5054

Bay Tree Design, inc.

EcoSchool Design® & Children’s EnvironmentsWe engage school communities in transforming their ordinary, paved schoolyards into vibrant ecosystems for outdoor learning and play, creating memorable spaces for children and adults. Our fi rm has worked extensively with San Francisco Unifi ed School District on their ground-breaking green schoolyard program, and with other schools in California and across the country.

Therapeutic Gardens, Edible Landscapes & Interpretive Landscapes We design gardens and landscapes for relaxation, healing, authentic experiences and community enjoyment. We help our clients to further their goals: by harnessing the power of nature to enhance their programs and engage their visitors; by creating community around edible harvests and food systems integrated with local ecological cycles; and by creating landscapes that speak to the history of the site and its surrounding context.

Community Participation in Design & Stewardship We are experienced leaders who use participatory design processes with adults and children to reach a community consensus for the design of outdoor spaces. We believe design is a collaborative process of blending the client’s and community’s local knowledge, needs and desires with our expertise and skills. The fi nal product is a hybrid of the decisions made during the facilitation process and a response to the character of the site. In public and community-oriented design projects the facilitation process also provides the client with a venue for “growing” the future stewards of the site.

Single & Multi-Family Residential Outdoor Spaces We work closely with our clients to develop personalized, outdoor environments that embrace residents’ lifestyles and provide year-round enjoyment for people of all ages, in settings large and small. We create beautiful, comfortable spaces that are convenient to maintain and a joy to use.

Firm DescriptionBay Tree Design, inc. is a women-owned landscape architecture and planning fi rm in Berkeley, California. We create beautiful, inviting spaces that refl ect ecological design principles, green building practices and edible and native planting palettes.

We offer landscape architecture and environmental planning services for educational, commercial, institutional, public and residential settings. We are experienced in leading participatory design processes and welcome the opportunity to work with communities in crafting public spaces for everyone to enjoy.

Our work is informed by our research, our travels to observe public spaces in the United States and abroad, our volunteer activities with nonprofi t organizations, and our ongoing collaborations and dialogue with other professionals in the fields of education, public health, recreation, ecological design and architecture around the globe.