Carolina Pondscapes, Inc.

POND RECONSTRUCTION PRIMER: General Greene Elementary School, Greensboro, NC

On Saturday, 9/23/06, Carolina Pondscapes, in conjunction with the wonderful student, parent, and teacher volunteers of General Greene Elementary School, undertook an "Extreme Makeover-Pond Edition"! As part of our community-oriented service, we at Carolina Pondscapes, once a year, donate our time, labor, and resources to assist a school or nursing home in improving their landscaping. At the school, the old pond (an overgrown, tired feature) was the recipient of our "makeover" techniques. We tore out the old liner, re-dug the pond to our specifications, and reinstalled liner, rock, filters, and plant life to bring this waterfeature back to life! As well as being a destination for relaxation, the pond will serve as an educational tool for the students of General Greene. As the plants grow, the pond will fill out and attract many forms of wildlife, such as birds, insects, squirrels, and several other species. The waterfeature will serve as a focal point in the school's educational area, along with their greenhouse. We at Carolina Pondscapes thank the hard working volunteers that lent a hand on this Saturday morning, as well as the Greensboro News and Record for their photographer and story. The following are some photos of the sequence of installation that occurs when rebuilding a water feature.

CLICK HERE to see photos of construction and installation techniques.

Testimonials...
As a parent at General Greene I wanted to say THANKS SO VERY much for selecting our school to receive your services this year. I was only able to be there in the morning on Saturday so I didn't see the completed makeover until Monday morning! WOW was all I could say! It was an amazing transformation! I know this will be enjoyed and used to teach our children for years to come! Thanks so much for sharing your gifts and talents with our school.
Connie Turner 4th Grade Parent

Thank you so much for all of the work at General Greene!! ... we certainly are appreciative that our girls will benefit from your hard work. We can't thank you enough for making our school part of your community giving. ....John and Joanna Sample

Greensboro News & Record Article
Taken from the Greensboro News and Record, Greensboro North Edition, 10/01/06
Title: "Greene pond gets 'extreme makeover'
A group of volunteers got down and dirty at General Greene School of Science and Technology to give their pond an 'extreme makeover." School, community, and expert volunteers joined forces bright and early Sept. 23 to plant aquatic plants in the pond, add a walkway, and restore a waterfall. They even put their "Greene" thumbs to work digging and planting around the pond to make the area more aesthetically pleasing. "Approximately 70 volunteers showed up throughout the course of the day and it was just wonderful," said Sandy Kellum, a member of the General Greene PTA and a participant in the project. "There were staff, students, parents, Girl and Boy Scouts, and the representatives from Carolina Pondscapes led the way!" The project was undertaken in honor of Helen Cook, who served as science specialist at General Greene from 1990 to 2003. Even before the makeover, science students used the pond for school, said Jim Olson, the science specialist. "Fourth graders studied how animals adapted to changing conditions at the pond while third graders studied how plants adapted to the pond, and fifth grade students used the pond not only for landforms, but also for ecosystems. That's just a small example of how a pond in a new or less-maintained condition can still help the science cirriculum," Olson said. "A lot of work really went into this project, but it was worth it, when we're able to see the end product. By the end of the day, we had a pond, with beautiful landscaping surrounding it. Now that we have our pond back, everyone is so appreciative (of Carolina Pondscapes); we are definitely going to keep it up," she said.
@2006 Greensboro News and Record, Carolina Pondscapes, Inc