The Branch Newsletter -Organizing a Schoolyard Habitat Service-Learning Project

Organizing a Schoolyard Habitat Service-Learning Project

By Deloris Smith

At the beginning of last year, I was thrilled to receive a GreenWorks! grant from Project Learning Tree to help create a schoolyard habitat, part of an outdoor classroom at Valley Springs Elementary School in Arkansas. My third and fourth grade gifted and talented students designed and developed the project to provide food, water, cover and nesting areas to attract wildlife to their school grounds.

The curriculum materials and training I received, plus the planning and designing phases, along with planting our trees, have been the most successful and rewarding for me and my students. As I reflect on the journey that we have taken together to create this schoolyard habitat, there are things I learned along the way that may be useful to other schools wanting to undertake a similar project.

Seek proper training before you begin
The professional development I obtained from state resources was invaluable and guided me in the right direction. I attended several workshops, and each time I came away with valuable ideas from both trainers and other teacher participants. I have received curriculum manuals from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), Project Learning Tree, and Projects WET/WILD, along with training on how to incorporate them in our outdoor classroom. The manuals are full of engaging activities that my students really enjoy.

Research similar projects
If possible, visit a schoolyard habitat site. Depending on the size and complexity of your project, it is important to have firsthand knowledge wherever possible. I was not aware of a schoolyard project in my area so I visited the nearby Fred Berry Conservation Center. I made notes about what I saw planted around their facilities and where they placed identification markers. According to the research I’ve read and the training I have received through PLT and AGFC, one of the goals of a schoolyard habitat is to enhance the educational experience of our children while making them environmentally aware.

Planning is critical
The most challenging part of the project, believe it or not, was winning so much money. Four of the five grants we wrote were funded and they allowed us to add a greenhouse with a garden area, a water feature, and a bird blind to our schoolyard habitat. In addition, we received donations of materials, labor, and equipment for a retainer wall next to the greenhouse. All this, of course, was a great thing to happen but, as the project coordinator, I had to prioritize installations according to how much space a backhoe and tractor would need to move in our compacted area and avoid damage to the trees we had planted. Waiting on other construction projects to be completed drastically altered our original schedule.

Form a committee to help implement your project
I formed a committee of teachers, students, school administrators, parents, and community partner volunteers. Community partners helped with the heavy work that our elementary children could not do, such as lifting and setting boulders in place and carving wooden animals. The school’s maintenance staff helped with utility layout, and provided a tractor and dolly to help move the boulders. One parent, Dawn Mathis, has really worked hard to promote what we are doing. She set the date for our dedication event with the school administration and has coordinated the catering of food and beverages. We have a volunteer work day scheduled for the Saturday before to make sure everything is ready for the big event.

Ask for guidance from professionals
Don’t be afraid to ask for guidance from professionals who might be able to offer assistance. Landscape designer, Starlinda Saunders, created a professional set of plans for us to use during the grant writing process. These have been very useful for inventory purposes, as well as in our public relations efforts, and for future planning. I had planned on installing a solar pump for our water feature, but later learned that its capacity was not big enough for the size of our pond and it would have only produced a trickle for a waterfall. This altered our estimated budget. In another instance, we learned that our drain pipe in our greenhouse floor was adequate, but would have been better if it had been slightly larger. If you need help selecting native plantings in your area, seek out assistance from your state organizations. I spoke often with personnel from our local forestry agencies and the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

Enlist the help of community volunteers
We have had over 30 community members help us with our schoolyard habitat project. Ten volunteers helped plan the mini forest, guided students during tree planting, and made sure students helped water the young trees regularly. Several volunteers donated boulders and rocks to create a bluff-like structure for a simulated bear habitat, while others provided logs and branches to create a mock beaver dam.

Involve your students in all aspects
To date, 36 elementary gifted students have participated in designing and developing their schoolyard habitat in a vacant area measuring 64’ x 95’. They divided up the area to incorporate multiple components. One student, Mercedes Youngblood, started the plans for our mini woodland forest when she was a third grader. She and her fellow students helped plan where to plant the trees and place the carved wooden animals. Last year, they dug and planted five trees and helped water them during the summer. This year, as soon as the ground thawed, they planted five more. Mercedes is now a fifth grader and she, together with four other students, are working on a woodland forest mural that will be unveiled during our dedication ceremony.

Publicize your project
Students were interviewed about their schoolyard habitat when a newspaper journalist came to our school to a do a story about their project. They had to answer his questions about each component they were working on. Our local newspaper has called to confirm they will be sending a reporter to our ‘Learning on Parade’ night to cover our kids’ story. Students have written letters to our Members of Congress inviting them to the event so they can see for themselves the benefits of outdoor and environmental education. In addition, our students are preparing to present their project before Kiwanis Club members. This will be wonderful opportunity for them to further develop their leadership and public speaking skills.

Be prepared for the unexpected
Sickness and flooding last year, and a snow/ice storm that cut off almost all electricity this year were things I hadn’t anticipated. We rarely miss school due to inclement weather, so I never expected to be out of school so long. My original plan was to dedicate our schoolyard habitat last year, but this is now scheduled to take place on April 23, 2009.

Use PLT’s GreenWorks! Guide
Use Project Learning Tree’s GreenWorks! guide on the PLT website. It is a great tool to help your team organize your project.

Good luck and, most of all, have fun!!

Deloris Smith is Gifted and Talented Teacher at Valley Springs Elementary School in Valley Springs, Arkansas. To learn more about her Schoolyard Habitat project, visit http://valley.k12.ar.us/elementary.htm and follow the links for “Elementary Schoolyard Habitat.”

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