Some people are naturally wired to protect and restore, instinctively tending to whatever needs attention. Walk into Polaris Elementary School on any given day, and you will find Jonathan McNamara in his element. As the Facility Manager at Polaris Elementary, Jonathan is passionate about tending to the school’s landscapes.
Growing up in Colorado, Jonathan learned to love nature and the native species that make the state’s landscape unique. That deep connection to Colorado’s landscape fuels his approach to managing the school grounds. Instead of fighting the local climate, he works alongside it.
Jonathan does this by taking a step back and letting natural processes unfold rather than forcing order. While traditional landscaping often favors manicured and cookie-cutter lawns and gardens, Jonathan’s landscaping is more sustainable and helps ecosystems thrive. When local wildlife interacts with the garden, he views it as a collaboration.
“The birds and the squirrels ate our tomatoes and they spread the tomato seed. Now we have tomatoes growing all over the place! It’s so funny. I just let it go. No, not everything is in a row. That’s not how nature does it,” Jonathan said.
From rogue sunflowers to purposely planted Mexican hats, Jonathan welcomes the unexpected. When an unplanned pumpkin vine sprouted near the playground, he simply put down a protective fence and gave it room to thrive.
Jonathan does what he can to help native plants grow. For example, he is transforming underutilized patches of land into resilient, low-maintenance landscapes. In one area, Jonathan is transforming a section of dying lawn into a drought-tolerant pollinator garden by pulling weeds.
“I am letting buffalo grass grow in. The more I pull weeds, the more buffalo grass comes in,” Jonathan said.
Going into its third year, the school’s pollinator garden serves as Jonathan’s laboratory, a place for him to experiment and observe. Polaris staff members Amy Johnson and Alison Kapsalis were part of the team that started this garden with Jonathan. It was funded by a grant and it has now grown into a lively ecosystem. This community garden serves as a place for peaceful leisure and a learning space where Jonathan and other gardner teachers can teach students about plant science and sustainability.
Jonathan holds a core belief that if we take care of the earth, the earth will take care of us. To Jonathan, being a facility manager is about fulfilling the responsibility for the earth and the children that walk the Polaris hallways.
Jonathan’s passion for maintaining the Polaris grounds goes beyond landscaping. He is also passionate about the school’s architecture. He has even studied up on one of Denver’s most famous architects, Temple Hoyne Buell, who designed Polaris Elementary. Jonathan takes pride in maintaining such a beautiful school building in addition to the school grounds.
“The school’s supposed to be gorgeous – that’s my job,” Jonathan said.