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North Bellmore School District

Inspiring Confident, Passionate Learners

November 10, 2026

Native Garden Takes Root at Saw Mill Road

Students gardening outside.

Saw Mill Road Elementary School is now home to Long Island’s newest native garden. Several months in the making, it finally came to fruition on Oct. 21 as students, staff and volunteers came together to plant. 

The school partnered with ReWild Long Island, which offers a community gardens program to create sustainable public spaces and improve the biodiversity, resilience and health of the local ecosystem using native plants. A grass patch with a single tree near the kindergarten classrooms was transformed by the district’s buildings and grounds staff to create a space for the garden. 

Samantha Jo-Kotaridis, project manager from ReWild, and Emma Diaz, gardens coordinator, created a design that included seven species and more than 60 plants in total. Ferns, great blue lobelia and highbush blueberry plants were among the variety of greenery chosen based on both the space and climate conditions. After a demonstration, sixth grade ambassadors and their kindergarten buddies then worked together to dig holes and place the plants in the ground.  

Assistant Principal Daniel Madden noted that there had previously been a small native garden on school grounds, created by technology educator Michael Bevilacqua, and there was interest in creating a more substantial garden. After learning about the ReWild program, Mr. Madden and student council members completed an application last year and were awarded the grant in the winter.  

The garden will serve as an outdoor education spot for students to support science education. Students will be able to learn about the local ecosystem, including plants and pollinators, and make observations. The school will also have a watering plan to ensure the garden stays vibrant, with a goal of preserving it for generations of students.   

Two children wearing gardening gloves plant green seedlings in a garden.   Two young people kneel in a garden bed, wearing gardening gloves and planting small green plants in the dirt.

Two girls plant flowers and vegetables in a school garden outside a brick building.   Two girls plant flowers and vegetables in a school garden outside a brick building.

Two young girls kneel in a garden bed, carefully planting young green plants in pots.   Four students work together to plant young green saplings in a school garden bed.

Two young students work together planting greenery in a garden bed outside a brick building.   A group of students and instructors gather outside on a sunny day to participate in a community gardening activity.