It all began with a seed, a seed of an idea from our Principal, Ms. Crummie. "I would like for us to become a Green School, and I would like the second grade to lead the way." And so it began.
This was back in the spring of 2013. The second grade class at that time, now our current 4th graders, decided they wanted to create a habitat for wildlife. They wanted frogs and toads.
From this hope and dream the following year the 2nd grade teachers wrote and received a Shannon Grant to convert the school’s overgrown bio-fill into a rain garden habitat.
Last year’s class of 2nd graders, our current third graders, spent a year of hard work. We were challenged by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to plant only native Virginian plants, so our students researched native plants that would grow in this habitat and that would nurture wildlife, and they voted on their favorites. They removed plants that were not suitable for a rain garden or were not native, then they weeded...and weeded...and weeded.
With some Fall plantings the garden started to take shape. In the Spring, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries delivered over 60 plants! and Piedmont Master Gardener Dorothy Tompkins contributed more plants. With the help of parents and teachers, the students planted for a week straight!
The Shannon Grant also funded the purchase of a bench, a weather station, a sundial and birdhouses, including wren, purple martin, and bluebird houses. We also planted in the drainage ditch and in the wetland area on the other side of the school.
In addition, contributions from our PTO and Price Kia helped to fund things we didn’t think about asking for in the grant like tools, birdbaths, bird feeders, borders, and some more plants. The 5th grade class generously contributed a second bench as their graduation gift to the school.
Finally, this year’s second grade students each made a stepping stone to line the paths of the habitat and the second graders are now the ones to fill the feeders and birdbaths...and of course weed.
We are so excited to create this habitat to serve as an outdoor classroom. We now have over 30 species of plants in our garden. Something is always blooming from spring through the fall. And we do have toads. Our weather station is now linked to Weather Undergound and Weather Bug. And this year, all grades, K-5, will include the habitat in their science curriculum in some way.
This was back in the spring of 2013. The second grade class at that time, now our current 4th graders, decided they wanted to create a habitat for wildlife. They wanted frogs and toads.
From this hope and dream the following year the 2nd grade teachers wrote and received a Shannon Grant to convert the school’s overgrown bio-fill into a rain garden habitat.
Last year’s class of 2nd graders, our current third graders, spent a year of hard work. We were challenged by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to plant only native Virginian plants, so our students researched native plants that would grow in this habitat and that would nurture wildlife, and they voted on their favorites. They removed plants that were not suitable for a rain garden or were not native, then they weeded...and weeded...and weeded.
With some Fall plantings the garden started to take shape. In the Spring, the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries delivered over 60 plants! and Piedmont Master Gardener Dorothy Tompkins contributed more plants. With the help of parents and teachers, the students planted for a week straight!
The Shannon Grant also funded the purchase of a bench, a weather station, a sundial and birdhouses, including wren, purple martin, and bluebird houses. We also planted in the drainage ditch and in the wetland area on the other side of the school.
In addition, contributions from our PTO and Price Kia helped to fund things we didn’t think about asking for in the grant like tools, birdbaths, bird feeders, borders, and some more plants. The 5th grade class generously contributed a second bench as their graduation gift to the school.
Finally, this year’s second grade students each made a stepping stone to line the paths of the habitat and the second graders are now the ones to fill the feeders and birdbaths...and of course weed.
We are so excited to create this habitat to serve as an outdoor classroom. We now have over 30 species of plants in our garden. Something is always blooming from spring through the fall. And we do have toads. Our weather station is now linked to Weather Undergound and Weather Bug. And this year, all grades, K-5, will include the habitat in their science curriculum in some way.