School yard habitat testimonials (fwd)

**"Aimee E. Giles" agiles@umich.edu>**

Collegues:

I am looking for testimonials from environmental educators and other
teachers who use school yard habitats in teaching.  I  have been
coordinating a extracurricular school yard habitat project as a volunteer
since December of 1995.  The site is in jeopardy, because the current
school board does not see value in the project and would like to plant
the area to Kentucky bluegrass.

Our project was student initiated, student designed, and student funded
with help from parents and experts. The area is bounded by the school
building on three sides and a parking lot on the north.  Prior to
construction, cover consisted of 43% exotic turf, 22% exotic weeds, and
35% bare ground.  The total area is about 10,000 square feet.

Students prepared a very complete proposal package, having surveyed the
site for elevations and existing features; determining their goals and
objectives for the site would be; researching how to meet their
objectives; and finally designing the site.  They then began searching
funding sources.  They brought this package to the school board in early
1996 and received permission to pursue the project.

The construction began in April, 1996, and was to take five years to
construct and 10 years to reach maturity.  The area incorporates a
variety of evergreen and deciduous, berry-producing shrubs, native
perennial grasses and forbs, a chipped pathway, and sitting areas. 
Funding has come from grants, donations, and fund raisers.  Students and
their families provide the labor and maintain the site.  I wrote a
multi-discipline curriculum guide for middle school grades that presents
hands-on projects that can be done in the project site.

Unfortunately, we have seen a total change over in school board members
and administration since the beginning of the project.  The school board
has asked us to discontinue work on the site until they have hearings on
its future.  Our site has gotten favorable review by local, objective
experts, such as the director of the county office of the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, USDA, as being a quality school yard
habitat.

I am seeking input from teachers with a school yard habitat on the values
of such sites.   Personnal testimonials as to how the site has helped you
would be great.  Ideas on how to utilize the site would also be helpful. 
Please send your letters or email to me for incorporation into an
information packet that I will present to the school board.

Thank you for your help in providing ideas and conveying the advantages
you have found in having a school yard habitat.  I would hate to lose
this lovely area that the kids worked so hard to create and that could
provide wonderful educational opportunities.

Sherry Middlemis-Brown
2134 Eureka Ave.
West Liberty, IA 52776
UP_North@juno.com

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