Outdoor Learning Center Continues to Grow!

 

If you should take a walk in the backyard of North Shore Elementary School, you will be greeted with tree identification signs and bird houses, thanks to Tyler, our Eagle Scout hero!  He and his family and friends have done an amazing job creating a nature trail and outdoor learning environment.

We are looking forward to our Backyard Bird Count (February 15th -- 18th) with Russ Schipper in conjunction with Cornell University and thousands of bird lovers across North America.  We will be identifying and counting the birds we see in our backyard and sending that information on to the bird experts and researchers at Cornell. 

Cameron, another Eagle Scout, will be developing an outdoor classroom area.  He will be installing benches to seat thirty students in the opened area of the path.  We are looking forward to a time when we can sit outside and write, read and research in our own outdoor classroom!

"Man listens in the forest.  He pauses in the forest.  He finds himself. . . I have asked person after person if he knew the song of the chipping-sparrow, and most of them are unaware that it has any song.  We do not hear it in the blare of the city street. . . We hear it in the still places and when our ears are ready to catch the smaller sounds.  There is no music like the music of the forest, and the better part of it is faint and far away or high in the tops of trees."  --Liberty Hyde Bailey,  The Holy Earth

Progress Continues!

Walkway overlooking wetlands
completed by Eagle Scout, Andrew!

The lower trail is muched and lined
led by Eagle Scout, Tyler!

Tyler with some of his crew!
 

Trees and sky along the path



A Long Awaited Friend Arrived Today!



Our Monarch Hatched!
 



An hour or so after hatching,
the butterfly sits on our hands!

Progress and Projects

Little children love the dandelion, why may not we?  LHB

Liberty Hyde Bailey was a man ahead of his time . . . I feel as if we may be catching his meaning and making a better place for students, teachers and gardens.  Here is what he wrote in the early 1900's

"This modern educational process is the active method as distinguished from the sit-still method.  It arouses, stimulates, individualizes the learner, developing its own mental movement.  The older method is largely one of repression and subjugation.  It is little less than barbarous to keep children sitting all day on benches."  -L. H. Bailey, from "The School of the Future" in The Outlook to Nature, 1905

We are making good progress as the Eagle Scouts are working their magic on the grounds here at North Shore!  Andrew has the decking on site and will be securing it in the days ahead. 

Wetland Overlook Project
 

This evening I was out flagging a wasp nest that needs removal by someone braver than myself.  Checking out the other gardens and projects, I walked over to our raised bed of dandelions to see what was growing.  For two years I've been weeding everything but the dandelions out of that bed.  (As many of you know, we planted dandelions for our groundbreaking in honor of Liberty Hyde Bailey, who enjoyed all plants and found dandelions no different.  In fact, he even wrote a poem on their behalf.)  But here's the problem with that dandelion garden.  As soon as I have pulled out all the other plants, new plants spring to life practically spontaneously, until it's a mass of vegetation of all sorts and varieties living very vigilantly together.  The dandelions never took over.  I have come to believe that dandelions prefer to grow next to other types of plants.  They flourish best within a diversity of plant life.  How very cool is that?!  The humble dandelion sets such a good example for those of us who seem to prefer the security of sameness.  That little flower has many endearing qualities I never knew before this venture.  We have plans to re-dedicate that bed to perhaps a butterfly garden, but before it goes down, here are just a few shots of the humble plants that grow so well together.  I have to admit, I've grown to like that crazy bed of vagabond plants that seem to come from nowhere and find a home with us.     

Weeds have a way of taking the smallest plot of ground and creating a modest garden, without cost, worry or regret.  And in addition, they service the bees, butterflies and all kinds of creatures, just for being exactly where they were destined to be. 

Work In Progress

Mulched trail through our woods
 

Today we made great gains on the trails here at North Shore!  Tyler led a crew that cleared and prepared the second trail through the woods.  DeGrandchamps donated wood chips and about a third of that trail has been covered.  They will need additional chips to continue the project.  It is looking very cool!  The first trail (out to the wetland area) was also mulched today by Neil, his mom Ann and myself.  It was a beautiful day to work!  Thank you to all who donated time, materials and/or labor!  If you have a chance, consider taking a walk on this new path through the woods.  You will be amazed at the diversity of trees and the beauty of this little stand of woods.  Tyler, with the help of others, will be making tree identification signs and adding bird houses on this nature trail.  I can't wait to show my students!   Generosity, hard-work and perseverance is alive and well on the Liberty Hyde Bailey Interpretive Garden Path!

A New Beginning

Thanks to Bob McGinness and the folks at Exterior Site Services we have a newly surfaced path out to our wooded trail and wetlands.  It is crushed concrete.  It will be a no maintenance and wheelchair accessible surface.  Thank you Bob and crew! 

 

And there is more excitement to come!

Work Crew underway

Oak tree on the border of the clearing

Entry to the woods

The paths through the wooded areas have been cleared and are ready for wood chips.  The DeGrandchamps are donating chips and we will be looking for help to spread them on Saturday, September 8th, at 10:00 a.m.  Thank you in advance DeGrandchamps! 

Tyler, one of the eagle scouts, developed an additional trail and will be puting up bird houses and labeling some of the trees.  Jim Ingraham built a picnic table in the clearing and is helping the eagle scouts with their various projects.  Cameron, another eagle scout, will be adding benches in the clearning for an outdoor classroom.  Our third eagle scout, Andrew, is making a viewing deck for the wetland area. 
I went out this evening to check on the progress and I was blown away.  The progress was amazing and the beauty of those woods was stunning.  I am so excited!  I hope that you can join us on Saturday, September 8th, to share in the joy and spread a few wood chips! 

Future site of the outdoor classroom

 

 

Rock Race