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CREATING YOUR WILDLIFE GARDEN Gardening for Wildlife Beautiful Native Plant Flashcards Now on Sale Order Now for only $18.00 CREATING
A WILDLIFE HABITAT ON SCHOOL GROUNDS The main goal of a schoolyard
habitat is to create a wonderful learning environment for children while
providing a habitat for wildlife. The gardens do not need to be award-winning
and should not be solely adult planned and orchestrated. The best thing
you can do is to include children in as many of the steps as possible.
Learning doesn't just begin with the end product; you can incorporate
benchmarks at every step of the process, from planning to maintenance.
Examples of math benchmarks are Computation, Units and Tools, Direct
Measurement, and Indirect Measurement. One of the science benchmarks
you can address is Diversity and Interdependence. Geography, a Social
Studies benchmark is met when the children learn map making and reading.
In addition, when children participate in all aspects of creating a
garden and maintaining it, they develop pride and a sense of ownership,
which discourages vandalism and a disinterest in the outdoors.
You will need various tools for the measuring and mapping step of creating your site plan. Tape measures (50' and 100' are recommended), ball of string, a line level, a plumb bob, wooden stakes, scratch paper, graph paper, clipboards and pencils. Professionals use survey-rod and transit and aerial mapping. You can obtain "As Built" plans from the school district to assist with this task. If your site is very large, it is advisable that you hire a professional to get the initial survey laid out. This cost most likely can be donated or covered with grant monies. Your initial measurements can be made on scratch paper and then transferred to graph paper using an appropriate scale. The handouts titled "How To Measure and Make A Working Sketch" explain several types of measuring techniques, slope formulas, methods to change grades and additional measuring and planning instruction and information. Please refer to these handouts. Slope measurement, treatment and correction is critical for several reasons. Erosion of soil around plants' roots makes it harder for your garden to establish. It also robs nutrients and mulch cover from the plants, increasing watering needs, weed problems, among other concerns. Additionally, erosion is a serious concern for our waterways. Increased sediment in our waterways is more detrimental to fish habitat than pollutants. The amount of erosion your site will experience will be affected by many factors, including degree of slope, soil type, amount of plant or mulch cover, type and diversity of plant cover, moisture content of the soil, both existing and expected, and duration and intensity of rainfall expected. An excellent resource for dealing with slope and determining slope breaks is Portland's Erosion Manual. As with our advice for dealing with large pieces of property, experts are worth the money if your site has a challenging slope. The next step after you have measured your site is site assessment. Consider the nature of the land and work within its constraints and opportunities. Refer to the handout " Schoolyard Habitats, Site Plan Considerations" for a list of site conditions you should note. These can be added to your master drawing or can be made to a sheet of tracing paper laid over your master drawing. Definitely make copies of your masters to use for further work - keep your master(s) safe.
PREPARING FOR PLANTING DAY:
PLANTING DAY:
AFTER PLANTING:
OTHER HELPFUL TIPS
TIPS FOR KIDS
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Why
should you do a plan? It is a very useful tool; a well-thought-out and
well-executed plan is the foundation of a successful schoolyard garden.
Accuracy is important. It is a way to invite discussion & inspiration,
share the vision and goals of the garden to the community, school staff
(including the maintenance crew), parents and students. It is a way
to gain understanding, approval, commitment and support for your project.
It provides a road map for cost estimation, prioritizing and establishing
phases of the garden's construction. It provides the big picture and
ensures continuity of the project. If you leave, your successors will
be able to carry on without losing a beat. However never be afraid to
change your plan. It will aid with fund raising and publicity of your
project. It is a learning opportunity for the students. And finally,
it is a requirement for your garden to receive its National Wildlife
Federation Schoolyard habitat certification.
Start
considering how this site will be used and determining your habitat's
goals and wish list. Will this site be quiet or loud? Busy or private?
Open and visible or closed and screened? Formal or informal? Will you
provide areas for quiet study or for groups to gather? What will the
circulation pattern be around the garden? Will they be wide or narrow,
straight or winding? What surface materials will you use? Don't forget
ADA requirements when planning your paths. Where are the current short-cuts
and will you add them to the plan or try to reroute them? Remember to
include access for maintenance. Keep beds fairly shallow (3' or under)
unless you can access from the back or include stepping stones for maintenance,
study, observation and exploration. Have the children determine which
types of wildlife you want to attract or can attract to your habitat.
Have the children create their own nature journal to study this.Find
out their habitat needs, if these needs are being currently met and
if not, add these requirements to your habitat's wish list. Tailor a
list of plants that will meet the habitat needs and are suitable to
the site as well as meeting school district standards.