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Schoolyard Bird Sanctuary with Paver and Cobblestone Walkway For their "school project," Derek and Dean use pavers and vintage cobblestones from the streets of Boston to create a bird sanctuary and garden. From "Rock Solid" episode DROC-306

In this Rock Solid project, professional stone masons Dean Marsico and Derek Stearns work with a school community in Norwell, Massachusetts to build a bird sanctuary and garden.

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	The schoolyard, BEFORE landscaping begins
	The finished garden/bird-sanctuary

Derek and Dean help to transform an ordinary-looking elementary school lot into a bird sanctuary that includes an attractive circular walkway and a sensory garden. They use high end Copthorne pavers for the walkway and recycled cobblestones from the streets of Boston for the borders.

With school kids helping out, this project represents an opportunity for Dean and Derek to give something back to their community.

The basic steps in this project, as seen in episode 306 of Rock Solid, are summarized below, along with a list of tools and materials that were used.

Tools:

stone hammer
trowel
level
tape measure
one inch pipe
steel chisel
mask
safety glasses
snap edging
non-galvanized metal spikes
marking paint
shovel
rake
screed board
power tamper

Materials:

crusher run
concrete sand
premix mortar
used cobblestone
desert brown round stone
Copthorne pavers
Walpole stepping stones

Note: The quantities needed for each of these materials vary with application. For your specific project, Dean and Derek suggest taking the dimensions to a local dealer, where they will calculate the amount of each product needed.

Design and Materials

Dean and Derek work with Seaone Landscaping at the Cole School in Norwell, Massachusetts, to build a garden and outdoor bird sanctuary. Dean and Derek install the hardscape, which includes a circular walkway with Copthorne pavers and cobblestone border, desert brown round stone and Walpole stepping stones.

Preparation for the Hardscape

Before our work begins, the landscape company comes in and cuts out the sod (figure A). Once that's complete, you can begin to prep for the hardscape.

• The first step is to establish the circular walkway. Measure out from the center point 14 feet, and draw a circle with marking paint (figure B). The walkway is four feet wide, so measure out from the center point 18 feet and draw another circle with marking paint.

  Figure A

  Figure B

  
  

• With the walkway outline established, spread about 2 to 3 inches of crusher run (figure C). Then compact the entire area a couple times (figure D). You want a solid base for the pavers and cobblestones.

• The cobblestones that Dean and Derek use for the borders are used cobblestones. They're from the old streets of Boston, and are all different shapes and sizes and colors. For a job this size, Dean and Derek use about a ton and a half of cobble.

• Note: One ton of cobble equals 70 linear feet of edging.

  Figure C

  Figure D

  
  
  
  

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  ALSO IN THIS EPISODE:
  	Schoolyard Bird Sanctuary with Paver and Cobblestone Walkway