Planting Day

After weeks of preparing our four planting sites two were ready.

Wednesday was the big day. The temperature was just above freezing, a degree or two below dewpoint. Consequently, we had frost.

At this point, we had already finished site selection and prep and picked our plants.

This is a reenactment of our final step in the planning process.

Chandler S. and Juliet represent a mountain laurel. Chandler P. is a skeleton leaf goldeneye. Kallie, Sarah, and Holly are Will Fleming yaupon hollies. Blake, Steven, and Niles are purple salvias. We selected all evergreens to work as a windbreak. It is so windy at this spot that mulch blows away. Holly suggested crushed granite as a top dressing (which we did).

What follows are the steps we used installing our garden beds.

Step 1.

Measure and dig the hole. Hold the blade of the shovel against the pot. Make a visual mark on the blade at the top of the soil line within the pot. Dig hole a little wider than the container and as deep as the soil line. (Okay, this is technically two steps)

Step 2.

Fill hole 1/2 full of water.

This provides the bottom most roots instant access to moisture.

Step 3.

Gently remove the plant from the container. First try squeezing the sides. If that doesn't work push it out from the bottom. Still not budging? Lay on its side and spank it with your spade or shoe. On 5 gallon sized pots and larger, we frequently employ the spanking method.

Yanking the plant from its pot can cause serious root damage.

Step 4.

Situate in hole. Check depth. Turn to show its best side.

Step 5.

Backfill.

It's important to keep all the soil you remove in one pile so you'll have enough for this step.

Step 6.

Water. Be gentle.

Step 7.

Mulch. This will help retain moisture, insulate the roots, suppress weed growth, and slowly fertilize as the mulch decomposes.

Check out more of our work by clicking on the picture below.

Importance of Outside Time

Nate Rosenberg and I had the pleasure of attending the Texas Children in Nature Conference this past Friday. Since Richard Louv's book, Last Child in the Woods, appeared in 2005, a groundswell of interest has translated into substantial local and national action. The conference celebrated these developments, examined the currently mushrooming body of evidence on the importance of outside time, and began to look toward further actions.

We came away inspired by the insights of more than twenty speakers.

Later, I reflected on how we use the outdoors on our campus.

One obvious way is through PE. Once a week during advisory we take our students out to walk the track or play sports. Since last spring we have had an outdoor classroom. Before this many Art, Math, and English classes have used the picnic area.

I regularly use the campus gardens to give context to science my science instruction.

In this picture students are determining the name of the tree by observing leaf characteristics.

We also participate in Monarch Watch, a citizen science project tracking migration.

Involving students in food production has both educational and nutritional benefits.

Turning talk into action, students periodically conduct litter cleansweeps.

Student analyze and graph the types of trash they collect. Then they identify its origin and propose actions to curb litter.

Students expand and maintain the various gardens around campus.

Off campus field experiences are part of the mix as well. Small students visit Westcave Preserve, the LCRA's Redbud Center, Aquarena Springs in San Marcos, The State Cemetery and Capitol grounds, and The University of Texas campus.

Studies show time out of doors can combat diabetes, obesity, and depression.

For more information on this topic, I highly recommend Richard Louv's book, Last Child in the Woods.

A couple of noteworthy recent articles:

Texas Parks and Recreation Director, Carter P Smith wrote an excellent Opinion piece in last Friday's Austin American-Statesman entitled, "Thinking outside the box is more important than ever these days"

Jane Brody's article last month, "Head out for a daily dose of Green Space" also discusses why outside time is crucial.

For activities and information targeting the Austin area, be sure to add Naturerocksaustin to your bookmarks menu.

Thanksgiving Trees: An Act of Environmental Kindness

Our school has been participating in a food and coat drive in an effort coordinated by Legacy of Giving. During our advisory periods we have been discussing acts of kindness. We talked about how their efforts are a way to "pay it forward" and translate our thankfulness into action.

Why not include the environment in our endeavors? On Saturday, November 20th, a group of students, family members, teachers, and Westcave Preserve staff members added a dozen native trees to the Ahrns Tree Grove.

Just as it is common for many folks purchase cut trees at Christmas, we can plant trees at Thanksgiving.

What we planted:

Western Soapberry

Mexican Buckeye

Yellow buckeye

2 Mountain laurels

2 Madrones

Possumhaw

Texas redbud

Texas Ash

Evergreen Sumac

Roughleaf dogwood

American Beautyberry (shrub)

Special thanks to the participants:

Emily and her Mom

Jyoti and her Dad

Faye, Allie, David, Patty, Ian, Thomas, and Mandy

Amber, Dad, and Sister

Mr. Rosenberg

David, Stephen, and John from the Westcave staff.

Compost Harvest, Log-a-thon, and much mulch more

Since the arrival of fall, we have been ratcheting up our maintenance and fervently working on four flower bed projects. Most of the trees on campus are mulched. Well, at least the ones we are going to mulch. Our winter vegetable gardens are thriving and now set up with pvc framing and plastic sheeting ready for frost protection. Today we removed the solar shade from the greenhouse. My horticulture class performed admirably.

Emery, Madison, Dariana, and Leydy are working on the bed with the most tenacious weed problem we confronted this semester.

Our composting project started in 2001. Many of the trees we initially planted now generate a couple of bins full. We have two sources for green materials. We keep a bucket in the Teacher's Lounge for their compostables, and add what my students generate. They are allowed to have fruit or vegetable snacks during class. Also, we accept bagged grass clippings and leaves

throughout the year. The drop off point is beside the yellow service road gates on the north side of the campus. This spring we were inundated by a generous donation from a local landscaping company, so we are asking you to limit your individual donations to 10 bags.

Also, we are replacing our worn out wooden pallet bins with sturdier (and spiffier!) bins made by Ronnie Scott's students right here on campus.

When I last visited Ernesto at his Medina nursery, he suggested adding compost to our potting mixture as we bump up our one gallon trees. About one forth of our harvest will go for the horticulture program, one fourth to our organic vegetable gardens, and the rest divided between the three new bed projects. After three days of "processing" our year's accumulation, we are still less than halfway done.

Thursday's log-a-thon was an exercise in teamwork.

Originally the cedar logs that Rodney Baker donated to the school were going to be used as fencing material for the Seedfolks Garden. After checking for underground utilities where the posts were goint to be set, we decided against that idea. A lot of the logs are now serving as borders for many of our recently made flower beds.

These logs are destined for Mrs. Fillman's Memorial Gardens...

... on the other side of campus.

How do you move a pile of old cedar logs?

One log at a time.

Until now the old garden hoses we had used to delineate the bed outlines during design and installation remained.

To shield the greenhouse from chilling north winds, students are creating two beds for evergreens. We often use native evergreens as windbreaks: cherry laurel, mountain laurel, evergreen sumac, yaupon holly, wax myrtle, crossvine, skeleton leaf goldeneye, and Texas sage

work commendably.

Another area where we are installing more wind taming evergreens is at the north entrance to the school.

Thomas breaks up the compacted soil with the highly coveted pickax.

As Thomas chops, he backs up making room for Chandler to spade over the slightly less compacted soil.

Sergio is a jack of all trades. Difficult jobs, often demanding precision, are his specialty.

Here he is trimming a cedar log for use as a border for the bed at the north entrance.

End of class. Time to return the tools.

Don't cross these guys.

Ah! Another fall day spent beautifying the campus,

working cooperatively,getting exercise,

and a healthy dose of nature.

Westcave Tree Planting and Assorted Butterflies

Students past and present, along with family members, are invited to join me in a tree planting at Westcave Preserve on Saturday, November 20th.

We will meet at 9:00 in front of the school. My truck will be full so carpooling is encouraged. Local media has been invited. I will provide the tools. Bring water, a snack and gloves.

The trees will join a few others in a grove planted in honor of recently retired John Ahrns, the preserve's original director.

Free tours will be available for volunteers.

For more info about the preserve clink here.

And now for your butterfly update:

So far we have tagged 22 monarchs.

We saw a couple yesterday in advance of today's cold front, but had no success netting them.

Take a close look at the hind wings of this beautiful specimen.

This is a Monarch mimic, Limenitis archippus (aka Viceroy), that is uncommon in this area.

The diagonal line crossing the black veins distinguish it from the Monarch.

Kaylee captured this specimen visitng the white mistflower in the beds in front of our school.

One of our more common catches, the cloudless sulphur

(Phoebis sennae).

Bordered Patch (Chlosyne lacina)

Tarry the Tarantula

My wife spotted this tarantula while we were camping. I brought it back to my classroom much to the delight of (most) of my students.

Tarry enjoyed a luxurious three week stay with a steady diet of crickets and geckoes caught just outside my portable.

We released her where we caught her.

Rita grabbed the camera while I sent her on her merry way.

Tarry was with us the three weeks leading up to Halloween.

I caught her by placing the lid of the capture box in her pathway. I wouldn't recommend picking her up. Frighten a tarantula and they can release barbed hairs that wreak havoc on eyes and lungs. Dropping one can burst its abdomen. She will gently crawl onto you if you give her a tilted hand or arm.

Tata, Tarry.

Dennis Hobbs Individual Achievement Award

Keep Austin Beautiful held its annual awards banquet today.

This is their organizational Silver Anniversary, and the Sheraton ballroom was packed.

At our table were Mayor Pro Tem , Mike Martinez, PODER director and Best Overall winner Susana Almanza, along with my wife, Rita, and principal, Amy Taylor.

Check out the other winners and find out more about the awards here.

This display highlights a lot of our environmental efforts at Small.

Small Middle School principal Amy Taylor and yours truly.

Councilman and Mayor Pro Tem Mike Martinez and unidentified guest.

Me and my students on the big screen.

The award's namesake introducing the awardee.

KXAN weatherman Jim Spencer emceed the ceremony.

I first met Dennis Hobbs on a field trip my classes took to Texas Disposal Systems in the early 90's. As we pulled up to the gate, he boarded our bus. The next hour was like and episode of The Magic School Bus. He proudly showed off the many efforts the landfill was taking to reduce the amount of waste going into the land fill and to reduce the environmental impact of such a large operation.

Glad I took those Speech classes.

It is humbling to receive an award from such a great organization. KAB has worked with my students for the last six years. Their impact on Austin's beauty and environmental ethic is impressive.