BROOMALL–For the second year in a row, LyondellBasell partnered with the Marple Newtown School District on a Global Care Day Project. Last year, the company helped create an outdoor classroom for Russell Elementary School.  This year, the project focused on creating an environmental garden/outdoor classroom in a courtyard at Paxon Hollow Middle School.

On April 14, approximately 50 Lyondell employees, Paxon Hollow teachers and staff and their children built a walkway using rubber mulch from 263 recycled tires, and planted 28 shrubs in one of Paxon Hollow’s inner courtyards. The new garden was decorated with ceramic pavers made by Dianne Blickle’s art students and a bird bath purchased by a grant from the Tiger Foundation with additional support from the PTO.   

“We received great support from Mostardi's Nursery and the Broomall Home Depot in addition to the staff at Paxon Hollow Middle School,” said Dan Pourreau, a Lyondell scientist and the Global Care Day coordinator.

According to Pourreau, Steve Mostardi, of Mostardi's Nursery, supplied all the shrubs and plants as well as free 'Gardeners Gold Soil' and fertilizer while Jennifer Cameron, of the Broomall Home Depot, donated mulch and landscaping materials and several members delivered the supplies to help complete the project.

“This year’s project was bittersweet," added Pourreau, "since we are shutting down our Newtown Square Research Center and relocating to Houston. We had developed a great relationship with the school district through our Explore and Experiment program, participation in Junior Initiative, and more recently with Global Care Day projects. With many of our employees already gone or busy shutting down our site, we debated whether we could handle a project of this size again this year. But we decided we wanted to make one last contribution to the community and were truly amazed how so many rallied around this project.”

In addition, Pourreau credited Paxon Hollow art teacher Dianne Blickle, who was "the inspiration behind this project," Principal Steve Subers and all the Paxon Hollow staff  and teachers who pitched in.   

"This was truly a team effort and a great example of our community coming together to celebrate our environment and support the education of our children," said Pourreau.

Marple Newtown School District Science Supervisor Suzanne Mecouch also praised Lyondell's efforts in working with the school community to give back.

"Lyondell has been such an asset to the students and teachers of MNSD. Without their vision and help, so many opportunities for students would never have been created–multiple outdoor classrooms, the refurbishment of the high school green house, first-hand experiences in laboratory facilities and mentoring students as they collected real-time data out in the field," shared Mecouch.  "Lyondell’s impact on this district will continue even though they are leaving the area. We will always be grateful."