Schoolyard habitat gets students outside

An outdoor classroom at Tuscarora Elementary School, an ozone garden at Brunswick High School and a wildflower meadow at Monocacy Middle School -- this is the future of the Schoolyard Habitat Program.

These projects may one day resemble the outdoor laboratory at Urbana Elementary School, where students can observe an ecosystem at work in the Great Blue Heron Wetlands.

The Frederick County Public Schools Schoolyard Habitat Program showed off its accomplishments and future plans at a celebration last week. Photos and samples of student work were on display at the school system's Hayward Road complex.

Schoolyard Habitat coordinator April Wells, also a science teacher at Catoctin High School, manages the program.

The 1.75-acre Great Blue Heron Wetlands has made its mark.

"That name is on the map," Jeff Esko said proudly.

Esko, an Urbana Elementary science teacher, envisioned the wetlands a decade ago. The U.S. Board of Geographic Names certified it as a designation on official maps in 2007.

The name is not wishful thinking. Students christened the wetlands after they watched a heron dine on a frog. The herons and frogs indicate the pond's health. The stately heron is also a symbol of the Chesapeake Bay.

The wetlands started as a ditch. The Urbana Branch of Little Bennett Creek, which flows through the school property, had been directed underground and piped away from the school through a culvert.

Esko worked with area developer Natelli Communities, parents and students to convert the area into an outdoor classroom. Students, parents and teachers built a walkway out of materials recycled from old portable classrooms.

The wetlands include a rock garden and a fossil wall. The site provides more than an outdoor science lab. Students take photos of the plant and animal life and write poetry and essays based on what they see and learn. For the past three years, they have created a calendar using photos of the wetlands.

"We're one of the wetlands monitored by the Frederick County Watershed Management Section," Esko said. "We monitor soil, water, frogs, and the results are on the Watershed Management's website."

In 10 years, 1,000 students have worked on the project. The school recently received a $9,300 grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust to add new plants.

Technology also plays a part. Six solar panels, donated by BP Solar, generate 1,350 watts of electricity to run the pump that aerates and filters the wetlands.

At Monocacy Middle School, students planted 950 wildflower plants last week in two 60-foot by 30-foot parcels. The Chesapeake Bay Trust awarded the school a $2,000 grant for the plants. The wildflowers are to help with erosion control and bring a little beauty to the school grounds.

"We have so much grass," teacher Natalie Boyles said. "It's not used. We also have a wetlands area, and these plants will filter the water that goes there."

Four hundred students helped with the planting, led by Boyles and Rhonda Lambert. The two lead the school's Environmental Club, which started three years ago. In a few years, when the wildflower garden is flourishing, the teachers hope to build a walkway through the wetlands.

At Tuscarora Elementary School, students saved change and raised $1,000. Teachers used this money to buy trees.

"They built this brand-new school and had no trees," Melanie Presta said.

She and fellow teacher Ellen Potter head the school's Eco-club. It has 50 student members and a waiting list.

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