Prairie in Progress
T a ke us b a c k to a b la nk c a nva s thre e ye a rs a g o ………
T he ste ps we le d ough - - - stude nts thr 1. Wha t wa s the landsc ape like he r e e ? (1850’ s be for surve yo r’ s no te s) 2. Why wo uld re sto ring na tive pra irie b e a be ne fit ? 3. Wha t a re the abiotic c onditions tha t wo uld a ffe c t pla nt g ro wth? 4. Wha t native plants c o uld g ro w in the se c o nditio ns? 5. Wha t na tive pla nts c o uld yo u se le c t tha t wo uld assur e blooming dur ing the e ntir e owing se ason ? gr 6. Wha t a nd why a re yo ur itie s ? plant pr ior
Alwa ys stre ssing b e ing g o o d ste wa rds o f the la nd, we fo lde d a nd use d ne wspa pe r pla nte rs.
Hundr e ds a nd hundre ds o f pla nts to pla nt me a nt fo lding hundr e ds a nd hundre ds o f pa pe r pla nte rs!
Me a suring sq ua re fe e t with e squar fe e t.
T hro ug h the g ra nt, lig hts we re purc ha se d fo r the thre e 7 th g ra de sc ie nc e la b s.
Mo st o f the spe c ie s we re g ro wn from se e d . A fe w spe c ie s we re purc ha se d a s se e dling s. Stude nts le a rne d: 1. pa tie nc e – pra irie pla nts ha ve a lo ng life c yc le a n the re fo re lo ng g e rmina tio n time . 2. ho w a nd why so me se e ds ne e d to b e sc a rifie d. 3. no t a ll se e d is via b le .
Pla nting time c a me a nd so did a spring monsoon !! Whe n we fina lly sto ppe d sinking pa st o ur a nkle s in mud , it wa s time to pla nt the o ve r 800 pla nts we ha d g ro wn during the winte r .
Ne wspape r was plac e d ove r the ne w 4 inc he s of topsoil that had be e n pr e par e d we e ks be for e . Six laye r s of ne wspape r we r e use d to inhibit we e d gr owth.
Mulc h wa s the ne xt la ye r to b e a dde d BE F ORE pla nting o ur sma ll little pla nts.
Ya rds a nd ya rds….
o f mulc h we re dumpe d, o ne b uc ke t a t a time , o n to p o f the ne wspa pe r.
Pre pa ring the site to o k
time a nd kid po we r.
E a c h stude nt wa s a ssig ne d a ro le ; te a mwo rk, truly a thing o f b e a uty!
And no w, a fte r mo nths o f pla nning , it wa s time to a c tua lly g e t the pla nts into the g ro und!
F o llo wing a pla n a nd a de sig n, stude nts we re ta ug ht to pla nt, a nd hula ho o ps we re use d to he lp the m kno w whe re to pla nt.
A fe w pla nt spe c ime ns we re a dde d fro m the pra irie site a t T win Oa ks, o ur sc ho o l fo re st.
Afte r two a nd a ha lf da ys, o ur pra irie re sto ra tio n spe c ime n g a rde n wa s fina lly pla nte d.
T he ne xt two ye a rs we g re w a nd a dde d mo re pla nts……
And we e d e d……
a nd le a rne d……
T he first ye a r the pra irie a re a se e me d to sle e p, the ne xt ye a r c re e p….
And la st ye a r, it b e g a n to le a p!
We put a b lue b ird ho use in e a rly la st spring a nd ha d a ne sting pa ir o f b lue b irds mo ve in! And ye s, the y a re b a c k this spring !
T his ye a r we o nc e a g a in g re w pla nts in o ur c la ssro o m fo r “the pra irie ”. T rying to ma ke the pra irie b e its o wn we e d re duc e r re q uire d us to g e rmina te a nd pla nt mo re g ra sse s. Ab o ut 130 ne w se e dling s we re a dde d a t the e nd o f Ma y. Our wo rk he re is do ne , e xc e pt fo r the ma inte na nc e . No w it is o n to b ig g e r re sto ra tio n pro je c ts.
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