Creating Local Habitats

At Ground Education, we look for opportunities to create or restore native habitats on school grounds.  Schoolyard habitat projects support native flora and fauna which encourage healthy local ecosystems.  Native habitats offer food and protection to local wildlife and are well adapted to local climates.  They also give students the unique opportunity to observe positive environmental changes over time.  This week we worked with second graders to plant natives on a hillside that we cleared of invasive ice plant.  We used our powers of careful observation to describe and identify various local plants.  Students practiced making detailed plant drawings and even created their own plant scavenger hunt.  Over time, students will observe the restored hillside for sign of pollinators, birds, and other local wildlife.