Parma’s Green Valley Elementary School welcomed former students and staff Friday to celebrate the 30th anniversary of a transformational outdoor classroom.

The events included sessions where students learned about microorganisms, planted sunflower seeds and made crafts to decorate what the school calls a "land lab," its outdoor learning space.

"They did a sunflower mural with their hands," Principal Jacquie Marconi said. "They also [made] windsocks, ... and of course we got to hear about the history of our land lab."

In 1995, Green Valley Elementary school had a wide, grassy front yard that students and staff weren't able to utilize. The lawn collected stormwater runoff when it rained which, along with contaminants, would eventually make its to Lake Erie.

Zaria Johnson / Ideastream

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