If you’ve seen orange tape and trees being excavated, it’s because of Wolverine Green.  Wolverine Green has been in discussion around West Potomac for the last ten years. According to the Wolverine Turf website, the goal of Wolverine Green is to use the island “to create a beautiful, functional, sustainable environment that is engaging, environmentally friendly and energy-efficient.” The Project is funded by families and individuals who buy various levels of sponsorship’s and engraved bricks with individual symbols or messages. The school says these donations will allow people to “make an impact on West Potomac’s corner of the earth.” In total, the community raised more than $48,000 for Wolverine Green. Industrial companies donated much needed materials like brick, concrete, and landscaping services that are crucial to the project. With the fundraising and donations, Wolverine Green will finally be complete by the end of 2017. 

The first design of Wolverine Green was simple sidewalk blocks to be placed along the paths that were most used by students. The first design was created roughly 10 years ago and only improved from there. In recent years, Mrs. Sue Bernstein, head of the Wolverine Green project, has been outside by the Rock and looking at the flow of traffic and the paths that students take and has met with a 3-D artist and created a model of the elaborate path.

Mrs. Bernstein pushed the idea that the island should be elemental based such as Earth, Air, Water, and Fire and be environmentally friendly. There will be multiple benches to sit on and two brick walls that will be available to sit on as well.

A couple of major concerns that were raised were that students may want to vandalize the new project when it’s finished. Bernstein hopes that students will respect and appreciate the space and that vandalism won’t be a concern.

Students weighed in on the project both with anticipation and apathy.

“I think it’s a very good idea, it will help the students learn and, it will benefit the school’s learning structure in a fun way,” freshman Kate Meyer said.

Freshman, Alison Hidreth disagreed.

“No one will ever have enough time to use it. Plus it’s cold and by the time it’s done its will probably be too hot and no one will want to sit outside.”

Finally, freshman Wyatt Murphy was unsure that the space would be well utilized.

“If teachers already wanted a class outside, they would just take their students outside and have them sit on the benches we already have.”

Teachers and students might have mixed feelings about Wolverine Green, but construction has started just this past week and is expected to be usable before Winter Break. Soon this passing space will become a learning island to “be enjoyed every day for every person who walks on the campus for the next 30 years and beyond.” 

Edited: 12/8/2016