Fwd: building and grounds update, including GOATS!!

[Dave Barker as Communications of PTA at Sagamore Hills Elementary School]

-------- Forwarded Message --------

Subject:	building and grounds update, including GOATS!!
Date:	Sat, 12 Sep 2015 19:15:11 -0400
From:	Dan Acker as Building and Grounds of PTA at Sagamore Hills Elementary School <buildinga...@sagamorehillspta.org>
To:	adminis...@sagamorehillspta.org, communi...@sagamorehillspta.org, ptab...@groups.sagamorehillspta.org, trea...@sagamorehillspta.org

Good evening all,

On the PTA website under connect/groups/buildingandgrounds/ I have started a master To Do List for all to contribute to, work off of, and track progress.

 

I have divided the tasks into three categories:

1. Grounds safety for the kids

2. Grounds improvements that help programs

3. Make the school look better

 

 

Here is the link

http://sagamorehillspta.org/buildingandgrounds

 

Click on "here's what we are thinking about" for the list. Its my hope that we all use this as our master list to work off of this school year. Anything is fair game to suggest on this list, so feel free to open the doc and add comments, etc.

 

Some of you may have heard rumors about goats. They are true. I walked the grounds Saturday with Michael from getyourgoatrental.com for a quote to have goats eat all the weeds along the entire creek bed. Its a neat idea because its environmentally friendly, neat for the kids, and gives mosquitos one less place to hide. It will make the exercise area and bridges over the creek safer and used more. Plus, the school could use the process as a neat teaching tool for the kids.

 

The proposed goat herd process would go something like this:

Michael would bring a whole herd of goats, herded by a couple dogs, for at least 48 consecutive hours. He puts up an electric fence around the entire area to be eaten. I realize the idea of an electric fence sounds like a challenge. He puts up signs that say don't touch the fence. The fence would be on the other side of the track, in between the track and the wooden pull up bars and walking balance beams. So, we would need to problem solve that issue of kids potentially touching it. He seemed to feel as though this hasn't been a problem in the past. Says the fence doesn't pack a punch in case of an accidental breach. I know that sounds funny and isn't an alternative solution. The electric fence may be our only challenge.

 

The goats eat almost constantly for at least two days. He says it will take 4 days for them to finish off all the brush, and that the area will be completely clear by then. He identified to me that the creek area is almost completely weeds.

 

 Michael usually charges $650 for 48 hours of goat use (two full days) but said if we put a good word in for him he will keep the goats there 4 days, or as long as it takes to eat up all the brush. We are getting a $1300 service for $650.

 

One of the main reasons I like the idea of goats is because it would take one heck of a lot of volunteers and man hours to clear the brush over there. Its gotten ridiculous in the creek and gotten out of hand.  The other idea is because its cool as heck for the kids to see.

 

I wish I had created this list before the PTA Board met last week, because as you may know, the mulch project ate up half the budget immediately. There are some ambitious projects on the list suggested from many helpful faculty and volunteers.  Hopefully in the future we can rely on donated time or materials from other companies involved.

 

Thanks again for your time,

 

Dan

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Dan Acker

Building & Grounds 2015-2016

PTA at Sagamore Hills Elementary School