The blueprint for an engaging naturescaped yard or a school's outdoor classroom learning station is as basic as third grade ecology. However, the rewards and the aesthetics are for all who love nature. A well designed native flower/butterfly garden at a school is a suitable stage for students to explore symbiotic, parasitic and commensal relationships in the natural world. Animal and plant adaptations are an engaging component of Nature Unleashed and an area designed for pollinators is perfect for collecting data and science note-booking.
This class is offered as a supplement and doesn't count for grant training requirements. The class will cover easy set-up, what to plant for the school season and some citizen science opportunities for the participants. Conservation Educator Jeff Cantrell will share some garden designs and recommendations from his schools' history, his own yard, local gardens and the Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center in Joplin, MO.