Allendale October 17, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 5 Brookside trail builders gain firsthand experience Barnett applied for the $1,000 grant and received it in 2010. In September of 2011, district officials learned that the Brookside School had been selected as one of the recipients. “The board’s trustees and the Brookside School administration and staff would like to recognize you for your commitment to this great project and to thank you for all your hard work,” Superintendent Michael J. Bardadepone wrote in a letter to Barnett when she received the $1,000 grant. The money was used to purchase eight benches, and the Davis family donated a ninth bench. Home Hardware & Supply in Waldwick gave discount pricing on the bench frames, Kuiken Brothers gave discounted prices on the wood, the Allendale Fire Department and Allendale Boy Scout troops turned out to assemble the benches, Dennis Murphy used his backhoe to move wood chips, and the Brookside School Environmental Club helped move the wood chips and gravel. The Davis family also donated native plants and two birdhouses, and Rohsler’s Allendale Nursery & Florist donated a half dozen ferns. Meanwhile, at Allendale’s Hillside School, teacher Laura Heitman recently learned that she has received a Bergen County recycling grant she had requested. Kitty Barnett (left) and Brookside School students enjoy the outdoor classroom. by John Koster At Allendale’s Brookside School, students are learning about the environment as a hands-on experience by helping to complete a nature trail. The effort began with funding from the Bergen County Utilities Authority and has continued with local elbow grease. “Actually, we’re still working on some of it,” said Kitty Barnett, the teacher who successfully applied for the BCUA grant that defrayed some of the cost. “We’re going to try to introduce some native species to the area and to focus on composting activities.” Students are already enjoying one aspect of the environmental trail located on the school grounds near West Crescent Avenue -- the outdoor classroom where they can study, hear lectures, and take notes, weather permitting. The area includes wooden benches and tables located in the middle of the wooded area near the school.