Staff from the Wilbur V. Harlan Greenhouse pitched in with a green landscape restoration project in Ward 8 of Washington, D.C. More than 3,000 native grasses and wildflowers grown in the greenhouse were planted in an abandoned lot behind the THEARC Theatre. With the help of a D.C. Department of Energy and the Environment grant, greenhouse staff organized monthly volunteer days to clean up the area's Oxon Run Stream and create nearby paths.
By April 2018, a total of 4,552 pounds of trash had been removed from the stream. This site has been dubbed The Living Classroom and is now used for outdoor education on the importance of native species, ecosystem services and clean water.