Outdoor Classroom

Work has begun on the Outdoor Classroom at Clayton Ridge Middle School in Garnavillo, Iowa.  The science teacher had expressed interest in starting something where the students could be outside and he could have fires. I took this as a warm invitation to get the ball rolling.  After having several consultants tour the site, we decided to seek some information from the students themselves.

The 6th grade class was spread out in the proposed classroom area and asked to write/draw what they would want the area to look like, based upon their information and other conservationists; we decided to thin the area and restore it back into native prairie.

The next step was to spray a few patches of broomegrass and locate funding sources for the seeds.  The local Clayton County Pheasants Forever chapter said they would be glad to help with seed purchase.  After the area was sprayed and browned up, Clayton County Conservation staff burned the selected patches.

Today, the 6th grade students spent an hour of their class clearing the prairire area of trees/brush.  The tree logs are being used as outdoor seating and the honeysuckle bushes were made into a brush pile for wildlife cover.  In a few weeks, the same 6th grade class will do a fall prairie seeding. This will be achieved through having the students handseed the burned area and letting the frost/snow work the seed down into the ground.  By growing prairie plants in their classrooms, the students will continue the work of this project throughout the winter.  We are all hopefull some results may come to light next year!!!