Schoolyard Wetland Habitats

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Using POW! a class of students decided to build a home.  They didn’t use planks of wood, hammers or nails.  Instead they used aquatic plants and shovels to create a home for wildlife, a home called a wetland.  While creating this vital resource, students gained life skills, reinforced concepts learned in school and felt empowered by making a positive difference in the environment and their community. 

 

Based on over thirty years experience in wetlands construction, horticulture and education POW!: The Planning of Wetlands is a fresh, new curriculum and two-day workshop that guides educators through the creation, restoration and/or enhancement of a wetland on school grounds or within the community.  Unlike other schoolyard habitat programs where the design is manufactured by experts and the students are brought in solely for labor, POW!’s 25 hands-on activities are designed to engage the class in all project phases.  The class will survey their school grounds, calculate drainage area, create a water budget, design the wetland based on desired functions, choose appropriate native wetland vegetation, construct and plant the wetland, and monitor biological and chemical parameters of the finished habitat.  The 300+ page guide also contains a wealth of wetlands information as well as a native wetland vegetation guide.  Activities are correlated to National Science Standards and are presented in an educator friendly lesson plan format with Student Activity Pages ready for copying. 

 

The exciting wetland activities promote conservation and are meant to stimulate interests in community service, conservation, science, math and engineering careers.  In addition to providing students an opportunity to develop a relationship with the natural world, consistent reports of higher test scores and high student participation in project oriented and hands on learning experiences show how powerful a tool a habitat program can be.

 

Schoolyard Wetland Habitats have the added benefits of:

• Improving the aesthetic value of the campus thereby increasing school pride
• Reducing maintenance costs associated with mowing and watering
• Reducing pollution from school stormwater run-off means healthier streams and rivers
• Increasing habitat for native plants, birds, animals, and reptiles
• Garnering community involvement and support

 

For more information on POW! and other exciting wetland education opportunities, please visit Environmental Concern Inc. online at www.wetland.org or call me at (410) 745-9620.

 

Sincerely,

Bronwyn Mitchell

Education Director