A vacant courtyard behind the Henry C. Lea School at 47th and Locust streets has been transformed into a garden that doubles as an outdoor biology lab, thanks in part to the efforts of some Penn students, faculty and administrators. The Lea School Garden features a dozen raised planters (donated by Home Depot) filled with flowers, shrubs and trees; a small raised pond; and murals. Dr. Vivianne Nachmias, the emeritus professor of cell and developmental biology who serves as a faculty fellow at the school, said the garden would be a source of peace and relaxation, a place for students to “learn and observe,” and a way to “unite us.” Penn President Judith Rodin told the Lea students that they would become “cherished caretakers” of the garden.
