R.H. Dana Garden
The Garden's Story
On Friday, November 8th, 2024 RH Dana revealed our beautiful new school garden. Six raised planter beds are surrounded by native plants and shrubs, and the area is ready for students and families to learn, enjoy, and create a connection to the earth in what used to be an unused patch of green grass.
We graciously thank our donors and families for contributing to the planning and development of this project. Specifically, we would like to thank RH parents Nate Magnusson of Magnusson Design Studio and Mauricio Espinosa of Burgeoning Architects for the planning and continued efforts to make this dream a reality. The Rotary Club of Dana Point, Dana Point Nursery, and Plant Depot all made significant contributions of time, soil, wood, and plants. The Municipal Water District of Orange County helped with all necessary planning and facilitated an $11K rebate toward the cost of the project. Our school district maintenance and landscaping departments also worked collaboratively with Dana Pacific Landscaping, our amazing contractor, throughout the process. Finally, our parents, students and families contributed all the plants, trees, rock labor and now, continue to contribute with garden lessons!
Get Involved
If you are a parent and you would like to get involved, reach out to your child's teacher. There are many ways to contribute from garden lessons for your child's class, to garden maintenance and supplies.
Since coming to R.H. Dana, our principal hoped that one day we would have a garden like the one she had at her previous school. We had an unused grassy area near our kindergarten classrooms that was the perfect spot. Thanks to generous donations from our school community for Jogathon 2023, we raised enough money to be able to begin planning for the garden. Below are the architectural renderings that were created to visualize what the R.H. Dana garden would look like once completed.
We have come a long way and the end result is amazing. Thank you for your support!
Garden Wall Project
R.H. Dana families got the chance to leave a legacy at the school by purchasing a hand-crafted titanium and bronze butterfly to live forever on our brick garden wall. In May 2025, these butterflies were installed and it looks amazing! Not only are they beautiful, but each butterfly also serves as a shelter for Monarch caterpillars to attach to as they undergo their metamorphosis- form and function at its best! A huge thank you to local artist/sculptor Casey Parlette for generously donating his time and art to our school. We couldn't be more happy about the impactful art installation in the garden that the school can cherish for years to come! Thank you R.H. Dana families for purchasing these butterflies, as those funds will be used for future garden maintenance.
About the Artist
Growing up in Southern California, Casey Parlette spent a lot of time among the local wildlife as he explored the nearby hills and ocean. Inspired by the fish, birds, and plants he saw, he began sculpting at a young age. With the natural world as a never-ending source of inspiration and subject matter, Casey uses a wide variety of materials and techniques when he’s working to capture the real-life characteristics of a plant or animal. He chooses from different species of wood in an effort to have the piece resemble as much as possible the natural patterns, colors, and textures of the subject matter. Casey uses metals ranging from steel and stainless steel, to bronze and titanium. The unique qualities of every metal lend themselves to different sculptures and subject matter. Currently sculpting full-time, Casey lives in Southern California with his wife and their sons.
Instagram: @caseyparlettesculpture