The Garden Project
(Look at our New Page, Birds in the Garden)
On May 10th at 10:30, the Taralyn Reynolds from Ct Audubon, will present MJS with a plaque designating our qualifying status for the Audubon at Home and Schools Program.
Thanks to a generous grant from the Guilford Found for Education, Melissa Jones has begun an Audubon at School Project by creating healthy habitats, and learning gardens for all students at school.
The project proceeded based on an assessment by Taralynn Reynolds and Ted Gilman from Audubon Connecticut, who suggested enhancements to the school campus that would increase opportunities for the children at the school to observe birds and insects in their natural environment using native plantings to attract area wildlife.
Goal:
The project goal is to achieve recognized status from the National Audubon Society while providing a hands-on learning environment for students.
How:
The grounds have to be free of pesticides.
Use water conservation techniques.
Use native plantings that provide food and coverage for wildlife.
Use the plants, birds and insects to enhance curriculum and provide new learning opportunities.
As the Habitats take hold, future lessons include:
- Observing birds and insects
- Graphing and submitting data regarding area species through Project Feeder Watch, Monarch Watch and other citizen science opportunities
- Learn about area species of specific birds and insects
- Learn and practice ecologically sound methods of interacting with the environment through water conservation and environmentally friendly gardening techniques.
Thank You:
To the Guilford Fund for Education for a generous grant that makes this all possible.
To the Menunkatuck Audubon Society and Audubon Connecticut’s Audubon At Home program for their support of the project.
Menunkatuck Audubon Society to http://www.menunkatuck.org,
Audubon Connecticut to http://ct.audubon.org, and Audubon At Home to http://ct.audubon.org/BirdSci_AAH.html
And to the volunteers that have helped by providing plants, watering and weeding!
These pictures were taken during the month of June after receiving notice we were the recipients of the grant. We quickly got into gear, got the soil ready, began the new garden and planted the sunflowers. We also built 6 bluebird houses, students that had expressed an interest in the project and those wanting to get involved in the "Bird Club" helped out. Praying mantis eggs hatched and are being observed by kindergarten students in the last pictures. The praying mantis were released into the garden to help in the natural control of insects.
