October Showers, October Flowers

We measured 1 1/2 inches of rain on the weekend of October 9-10. 

The gardens responded.

 

Summer's Monarch

This is a continuation of the story of Summer and the caterpillar she raised...

 in a capture box in Mr. Rosenberg's class.

She shared with me every time she noticed a change. This is the "j" a caterpillar makes as it morphs into a pupa.

Next update: pupa

Twelve days later,

emergence and liberation.

 Our guy (yes, we checked) nectaring on on Gregg's mistflower.

Ain't he a beaut?

Monarch Magic

While walking down the school's north sidewalk on September 6th, I spotted a female monarch butterfly visiting the pigeonberry, salvia, and green milkweed. I filed the event in my mind. On Friday as we were going to journal in the outdoor classroom, Anthony noticed a large caterpillar feeding on the milkweed. We collected it and found three more. Being in their 5th instar, we cut a stem full of leaves for each and put them in an unused reptile habitat.

When I arrived at school today, I checked out the monarch mansion. Lots of scat, 4 bare stems. No caterpillars. I scanned the entire container. Nothing. I gingerly pried off the lid and there they were. Four pupae.

Today I checked the Species Study spreadsheet and found a 6th grade  student, Sommer, who selected monarch's for her 3-year study. We went out during her advisory class and I showed her three sites with three different types of milkweed. When we examined the green milkweed, we found another caterpillar. It appears to be in its 4th instar. Sommer brought it in and put it in a capture box with fresh leaves. She's going to keep it in Mr. Rosenberg's classroom until it emerges.

                                           photo by Sommer

Fall Seeds and Hummingbird Rehab

During 7th period on Wednesday Mr. Brooks and I combined our classes for a propagation party. We are preparing to put in our fall/winter garden. 

Students whole heartedly supported the idea of a salsa garden so we are starting tomatoes, cilantro, three variety of peppers, and onions from seeds. Later, we will transfer them to larger pots and keep them in the greenhouse. We also started broccoli, leeks, and Brussels sprouts from seeds. We'll also be planting an assortment of other herbs and veggies including lettuce, carrots, radishes, spinach, beets, and parsley in our raised beds.

 

On Monday morning two students visited me before school. Anxiously they showed me an injured Ruby-throated hummingbird.

Emily was in Wimberley visiting her granparents this weekend. She was watching several hummers at a feeder when one crashed into a window. When it didn't fly off, Emily picked it up and brought it back
home with her. She provided it a sugar water mix and kept it in a cardboard box, and emailed a hummingbird rehabber. Based on info we found on the Internet, she started mixing crushed up ants in the sugar nectar. The site also showed how to hold the bird while offering it food. 

Today was day four, and Emily and "Petunia" are hanging in there.

Petunia checking out a fresh sprig of Esperanza.

Green Art Revisited

As promised, more designs from students in my Taste of Science classes. We'd love to hear which are your favorites so leave a comment.

Susan B.

Paola and Jennifer

Nicole V.

Paola J.

The Best of Green Art

I challenged my Taste of Science students to REvise the 3-R's (which, when I was their age, still meant reading, 'riting, and 'rithmatic). They brainstormed individually, in small groups, and ultimately as a whole class, appropriate "re-" verbs. Three themes emerged: rethink (reconsider, revisit, remind), restore (redo, renovate, rebuild), and replant (replenish, reintroduce, reestablish). 

Here are some of the early results. Feel free to comment on your favorite(s).

Enoch P.

Marcus G.

Haley S.

Izzy

Jonathan L.

Michael N.

More to come...

An Event to Remember

Our first Big Event offered 160 Green Academy students the opportunity to get an up close look at native raptors, snakes, and an assortment of botanical treasures.

A million thanks to our guest speakers: Sallye Delahoussye, Ed Sones, Jared Holmes, Stephen Scace, and David Bamberger.

Over the next three weeks students wishing to earn Green Certification will be declaring their species selection. Any plant or animal species native to the state and that has not already been taken by another Green candidate, is fair game.

We are currently looking for wildlife experts to serve as species mentors for our students. A mentor should be able to provide intelligent feedback on the student's three year study and help to coordinate field experience(s).

All photos by KayliPix.

Snakes Alive!

Today was Snake Day in all my classes. Many thanks to the Schwartz family for lending their pet Checkered Garter Snake (Thamnophis marcianus) to our classroom.

She arrived with five babies in tow. Each class examined and sketched the coloration and scale patterns. Students then had the opportunity to touch or hold her. Since exposure to salmonella bacteria is possible when handling reptiles, students sanitized their hands afterwards.

During the last 10 minutes of class we released a snakelet in what each class deemed as suitable habitat. We marveled how quickly they blended in with the leaf litter at each site. Here Green Growing student, Henry, lets the last little one go.

Get 'Em While It's Hot...

..because they're cool.

Our inaugural t-shirts are made from 100% pre-shrunk organic cotton. Since we are proclaiming this 2011-12 school year as the Year of the Purple Martin and Mountain Laurel, we picture them on the sleeves. The Academy's logo is on the left upper front of the tee.

Across the shirt's back we've printed the Green Tech Academy's logo.

Shirts will be for sale this Monday, August 29, through Friday, September 9th for $10. Sizes range from youth large to adult XXL. Students can buy them at the beginning of class, and we will have a table set up for Back-to-School Night and again at the Big Event.

Proceeds will go toward funding future green projects on our campus.

Environmental Studies Supplies

Our back to school shopping list is short and sweet: for each environmental studies elective, students will need a composition book. Right now several retailers have them on special. HEB had them for 40¢ last I looked. Even if a student won't be enrolled in a green elective until the spring semester, now is the cheapest time to buy. Spiral notebooks, whether with the wire binding or wireless, are not acceptable substitutes.

Journals (our word for composition book) will be kept in class for the duration of the semester and account for 25% of a student's grade.

Species Study and the Big Event

This semester Small Middle School is launching the Green Tech Academy at Small. We are expanding our environmental science elective course offerings. Students will be able to choose either a green or tech track.

David Bamberger once shared with me that he thinks every student should pick one plant or animal species and study that throughout their school career. Each student would become the expert on that species. Students rarely have the opportunity to study any topic in depth and so lack an understanding of how to do meaningful research. Our plan is to have incoming 6^th graders select a native species and conduct a study of published materials pertaining to their topic. As 7^th graders they would expand their investigation to actual field study, and if possible, participate in an ongoing research project. Several local wildlife experts have already agreed to mentor the fieldwork. Once they have made it to 8^th grade, we expect students to keep abreast of new information and further their field experience, as well as, develop a presentation for staff and peers. We will be offering an independent studies semester-long elective for this purpose. Students who already have credit for green classes they took at Small last year will also be invited to participate.

To help students choose a species, we are inviting some local experts to participate in a kick off event modeled after a career fair (The Big Event) on Tuesday, September 6^th. So far, our presenters are David Bamberger, keynote address, snake expert, Jared Holmes, raptor rehabilitator, Sallye Delahousseye, and small mammal rehabilitator, Ed Sones. They will be bringing live animals.

Planting It Forward

We're taking a break.

Congratulations to all my 8th graders moving on to high school.

You've added to the legacy that is the gardens at Small Middle School. Please return often and enjoy the fruits of your labor. That especially goes to Jack (pictured below putting the finishing touches on the tiled counter, Marek (of greenhouse construction fame), Joe, Matt, Grayson, Brandon, Garrett, Ann Marie, Jared, Fabio, Darien, Deanna, Isaiah, Patti, Bailey, and any others I may have left out.

A gracious salute to all who help maintain and add to our campus flora. Wonders unfold as the plants mature. Trees we planted this year will be shading generations to come. Our future fauna will appreciate the habitat you have nurtured as well.

Our Purple Martin colony is thriving. They definitely prefer the old metal houses. One gourd house is mostly unoccupied.

Kayli has volunteered to continue monitoring our colony throughout the summer. She will guard against sparrow infestation. Look for the annual martin gathering at Highland Mall this August.

The 6th grade Native Plants and Animals classes have been maintaining the east and north facing beds this semester. This includes the Susan Fillman Memorial Garden of which you can see 1/4 in this photo.

A couple of views of our NWF outdoor habitat project...

Benchwarmers...

Enjoy a few more shots of our last two days in the gardens by clicking on the image below.

It's been a great year. We are looking forward to launching The Green Tech Academy this fall. I will be blogging, albeit a little less frequently. The Carolinas are calling.