This year, Earth Economics partnered with Amigos de los Rios to assess the social, environmental, and economic benefits of the Watershed Discovery Campus of Mary W. Jackson Elementary with generous support from the Ingrid Rasch Legacy Fund. Greening the school’s playground—adding trees, pervious surfaces, and a garden—provides nearly $400,000 in annual benefits and supports the equivalent of roughly three part-time, year-round jobs. Every dollar invested in greening the Jackson Elementary playground produces at least $3.60 in measured social, environmental, and economic benefits for the students, the school, and surrounding neighborhoods.
Students and teachers share benefits of $128,404 each year, mostly from the ability of newly planted trees to mitigate temperature extremes (reducing health impacts), but also by improved compliance with ADA regulations and fresh foods provided by the school’s new garden.
Photo: Amigos de los Rios
Other benefits are shared more broadly—students and teachers, the school administration, and the broader community receive $271,364 in annual benefits, most of which come from the Community Investment Benefits associated with project spending. Stormwater management is also important, as are the aesthetic beauty of the newly green playground and improvements to improve drainage and water quality. Other public benefits include water capture, improved air quality, and energy savings from lower temperatures during heat waves.
The mission of Amigos de los Rios is to create the “Emerald Necklace,” a network of green spaces, green schools, parks, and trails throughout under-served communities throughout the Los Angeles Basin. Amigos de los Rios uses a whole-systems approach to watershed and social restoration, and as part of the Emerald Necklace Coalition, has helped to connect cities and residents along the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel watersheds of East Los Angeles County. Their goal is to link Los Angeles’ mountains with the sea, supporting equitable access to nature while protecting the environment and urban communities from climate change impacts.