Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Birding, Planting and Enjoying the Last Days of School

Russ helping us identify a bird in the yard
Planting Milkweed in our Butterfly Garden


Planting milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)




















Today we had the wonderful pleasure of going on another birding expedition with Russ Schipper in our backyard!  What fun!  We saw lots and lots of birds and heard even more!  It's amazing how many birds inhabit our forests, wetlands and grasslands at North Shore!  In addition, Russ brought with him a flat of Asclepias tuberosa (a form of milkweed) from his lovely wife, Ilse.  My students and I planted it around the edges of our new Butterfly Garden.  With a bit of rain, sunshine and good luck we will have even more great looking milkweed growing this summer!  Earlier this fall we planted lots of native plants thanks to a grant from The Wild Ones.  The monarchs will have great nectar sources, along with a variety of milkweed options to lay their eggs.  Two of our raised beds now have hearty stands of Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed).  Hopefully, we are developing a grand smososbord for butterflies and other nectar feeders.   Thank you Russ, Ilse and everyone who has been helping us with our new garden!

Writing on the trial

Journaling
Recess with friends!