EcoScouts Schoolyard Habitat Improvements

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Eco-Scouts Schoolyard Habitat Improvements

• Fun and Fulfilling Schoolyard Habitat
  Improvements You Can Make at Your School

Office of Outdoor Science Baltimore County Public
Schools, Maryland
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Eco-Scouts Description

• Students use scientific, mathematical, and
  technological skills to further their
  understanding of ecology.
• This unit is designed to be taught using both the
  traditional classroom and the schoolyard habitat
  classroom.
• Students will investigate two different types of
  habitats in their schoolyard the forest and the
  meadow.
• Students will create a Schoolyard Habitat Action
  Plan in the form of a persuasive letter to the
  Principal.
• Hopefully, the teacher will oversee the
  implementation of a schoolyard habitat project.

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Schoolyard Habitat Action Plan

• The objective is for the students to identify a
  problem or situation within the schoolyard
  habitat and create a plan to solve or improve the
  situation.
• It is encouraged that a students Action Plan be
  implemented to improve your schoolyard habitat.
• Keep your administration and school grounds
  maintenance staff updated and involved.
• The Action Plan can be put into action on just
  the 4th grade level, with several grade levels,
  or with the entire school.
• Through consistent and annual implementation,
  your school could even attain Green School
  status.

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What is a Schoolyard Habitat?

• A naturalized area on the school grounds that
  provides authentic habitat as well as an
  opportunity for students to connect with the
  environment on their school grounds.

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What is the Purpose of a Schoolyard Habitat?

• Engages students in authentic problem solving
  experiences.
• Benefits wildlife through improvements in habitat
  and/or water quality.
• When designed, implemented, and utilized
  properly, schoolyard habitat projects can make
  learning come alive.
• Curricular goals can be met through engaging,
  hands-on experiences.
• The playing field is leveled for all students so
  that No Child is Left Behind.

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Thanks to Maryland Association for Environmental
and Outdoor Education
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Schoolyard Habitat Benefits

• 1. Cross curricular opportunities English,
  science, mathematics, history, geography, social
  studies, art, and music all can easily be infused
  into teaching and learning.
• 2. Improved student performance extensive
  research demonstrates that the use of the natural
  environment leads to measurable student gains
• 3. Improved habitat residential and migratory
  wildlife are provided habitat. In addition, these
  habitats help to mitigate problems caused by
  development and impervious surfaces.

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Schoolyard Habitat Benefits, continued

• 4. Financial Benefits schoolyard habitats
  provide an exciting and inexpensive alternative
  to purchasing biological materials for the
  classroom.
• 5. Maryland Green School Awards Program creating
  a schoolyard habitat gives schools a leg up on
  earning Green School status.
• 6. Students are Empowered through Stewardship
  this experience provides a powerful example of
  environmental stewardship to students during a
  formative stage of their lives.
• 7. Social Development being involved in
  improving their schoolyard habitat allows
  students to explore, discover, and play while
  refining motor skills which will lead to a
  happier and more fulfilled childhood.

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Where do I start?

• Students should assess the school grounds
  focusing on storm water flow, existing wildlife
  and their habitat and student use patterns.
• Students should gather a team of interested
  people including teachers, students,
  administrators, custodians, and groundskeepers.
• Students should explore the Maryland Association
  for Environmental and Outdoor Educators and
  National Wildlife Federation websites
  http//www.maeoe.org/habitat/ and
  http//www.nwf.org/schoolyard/getstarted.cfm
• Students should contact James Frank, naturalist
  james_at_marshypoint.org, at Marshy Point Nature
  Center. MPNC has tailored a field trip around
  Eco-Scouts in an effort to help model nine
  different Schoolyard Habitat projects scroll
  down to field trips and click http//www.marshypo
  int.org/programs/index.asp_kids. [phone]
• Students should contact Pat Ghingher, BCPS Senior
  Teacher/Naturalist pghingher_at_bcps.org, to use as
  a resource. [phone]

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Possible Schoolyard Habitat Projects

• Easier
• Rain barrels
• Brush piles
• Native plant landscaping
• Native tree plantings
• Rotting log gardens
• Bluebird box trails
• Outdoor classrooms
• Bat boxes

• More Challenging
• Rain gardens
• No Mow zones and meadows
• Butterfly gardens
• Wetlands
• Stream Monitoring

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Rain Barrels
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Rain Barrels

• http//www.dnr.state.md.us/ed/rainbarrel.html
• http//www.raingardennetwork.com/rainbarrels.htm
• http//www.native-raingarden.com/rainbarrel.html
• http//arlingtonecho.net/rainbarrel.htm
• http//www.marshypoint.org/programs/index.asp_kid
  s, scroll down to and click on field trips.

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Brush Piles

• What are Brush Piles? A brush pile is a pile
  is a deliberate collection of brush or branches,
  sticks, and other plant parts placed over a
  supporting base or foundation. Creating a brush
  pile is an inexpensive and easy way to provide
  critical shelter and cover for ground-nesting
  birds, reptiles and amphibians, chipmunks,
  rabbits, and other small mammals.
• Why are Brush Piles Important? When naturally
  sheltered places are removed for crops or for
  construction, brush piles can help to replace
  them and can serve many of the needs that wild
  animals have for dense cover. All wildlife need
  dense cover throughout the year for several
  reasons.
• Animals run for cover when being chased by a
  predator.
• They need shelter from severe weather.
• They need to rest in places that are cool and
  well concealed.
• Small animals, like quail and chipmunks, use
  dense cover near the ground to move from one
  place to another without attracting attention to
  themselves.

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Brush Piles
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Brush Piles

• http//www.hsus.org/wildlife/urban_wildlife_our_wi
  ld_neighbors/brush_piles_101.html
• http//www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/wabrush.asp
• http//www.birdwatching.com/tips/brushpile.html
• http//www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/previou
  stips9.cfm
• http//www.hsus.org/wildlife/urban_wildlife_our_wi
  ld_neighbors/brush_piles_101.html
• http//fw.ky.gov/pdf/brushpiles.pdf
• http//www.boxerwood.com/WALKING20TOUR/Eye/brush
  20piles.htm
• http//www.marshypoint.org/programs/index.asp_kid
  s, scroll down to and click on field trips.

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Native Plant Landscaping
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Native Plant Landscaping

• http//www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/bayscapes.htm
• http//www.maeoe.org/habitat/projects/native_habit
  ats.php
• http//www.chesapeakebay.net/pubs/781.pdf

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Native Tree Plantings
A barren, tree-less schoolyard can be a
depressing sight. Trees are essential to the
overall health of the Chesapeake Bay. They slow
down run-off, filter excess nutrients, prevent
erosion, and provide food and habitat for
wildlife. Reforest your schoolyard with native
trees today!
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Native Tree Plantings

• http//www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagenameaction
  _outdoors_trees
• http//www.dnr.state.md.us/forests/treemendous/
• http//www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/pdf/habitatguide.
  pdfpage25
• http//www.marshypoint.org/programs/index.asp_kid
  s, scroll down to and click on field trips.

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Native Tree Plantings

• http//www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagenameact_su
  b_restoration_trees
• http//www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/pdf/habitatguide.
  pdfpage25
• http//www.arborday.org/trees/righttreeandplace/ri
  ghttree.cfm

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Rotting Log Piles
Dead trees can be just as valuable as healthy
trees. Decaying trees can help to feed and
shelter a variety of wildlife including small
reptiles, amphibians, birds, and insects. A
rotting log pile is best situated in a shady part
of the schoolyard where the decomposers will stay
moist.
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Rotting Log Piles

• http//home.howstuffworks.com/insect-activities4.h
  tm
• http//www.mamashealth.com/saveearth/log.asp
• http//www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?is
  sueid15articleid120
• http//www.marshypoint.org/programs/index.asp_kid
  s, scroll down to and click on field trips.

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Bluebird Box Trails
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Bluebird Box Trails

• http//www.nabluebirdsociety.org/
• http//www.birds.cornell.edu/AllAboutBirds/BirdGui
  de/Eastern_Bluebird.html
• http//www.dnr.state.md.us/wildlife/wabluebird.asp
  
• http//www.enature.com/fieldguides/view_default.as
  p?allSpeciesysearchTextbluebird20boxes
• http//www.marshypoint.org/programs/index.asp_kid
  s, scroll down to and click on field trips.

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Outdoor Classrooms
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Outdoor Classrooms

• http//www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actionpgpAboutLo
  wes/outdoor/index.html
• http//outdoorclassroom.org/
• http//www.nwf.org/schoolyard/downbytheschoolyard.
  cfm

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Bat Boxes
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Bat Boxes

• http//extension.umd.edu/publications/PDFs/FS791.p
  df
• http//nswg.org/n8.bathouses.htm
• http//www.inhs.uiuc.edu/inhsreports/nov-dec99/bho
  use.html
• http//www.essortment.com/howtobuildab_rdgm.htm
• http//www.fs.fed.us/r9/wayne/projects/house_plans
  /bathouse/bathouse.html

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Rain Gardens
The purpose of a Rain Garden is to prevent
pollutants and sediment from entering into storm
drains, streams and ultimately, the Bay. Rain
Gardens have no standing water as they merely
absorb rain and run-off. Rain Gardens are a
natural way to filter water from downspouts,
parking lots, etc. while providing valuable
habitat for wildlife and improving water quality.
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Rain Gardens

• http//www.marshypoint.org/programs/index.asp_kid
  s, scroll down to and click on field trips.
• http//www.cbf.org/site/DocServer/rain_garden.pdf?
  docID2986
• http//lowimpactdevelopment.org/school/bioret/brm.
  html

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No Mow Zones and Meadows
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No Mow Zones
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No Mow Zones

• http//www.nwf.org/nationalwildlife/article.cfm?is
  sueid62articleid804
• http//www.marshypoint.org/programs/index.asp_kid
  s, scroll down to and click on field trips.

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Meadows
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Meadows

• http//www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/pdf/habitatguide.
  pdfpage89
• http//wildlifehc.org/managementtools/backyard-pol
  linators.cfm
• http//maeoe.org/resources/msdetoolkit/MSDE_guide2
  .pdfpage1
• http//www.wildflower.org/clearinghouse/articles/M
  eadow_Gardening.pdf
• http//www.marshypoint.org/programs/index.asp_kid
  s, scroll down to and click on field trips.

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Butterfly Gardens
The purpose of a Butterfly Garden is to plant
native species meant to attract butterflies. When
creating a habitat for butterflies, select plants
which have the following colors purple, pink,
yellow, white, blue and red, provide both native
host plants and nectar sources which bloom from
spring through fall. A successful butterfly
garden should provide water, shelter, and food.
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Butterfly Gardens

• http//www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/butterf
  lyattractors.cfm
• http//www.nwf.org/backyard/butterflies.cfm
• http//www.maeoe.org/habitat/projects/butterfly_ha
  bitats.php
• http//www.fairhillnature.org/BaltCkspotFactSheet.
  pdf
• http//www.marshypoint.org/programs/index.asp_kid
  s, scroll down to and click on field trips.

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Wetlands
Wetlands provide habitat for plants and animals
in an increasingly suburban Chesapeake Bay
region. In addition to supporting many species of
wildlife, from juvenile fish and crabs to
beneficial insects, amphibians and waterfowl,
wetlands also act as sponges for the Chesapeake
Bay, filtering and controlling the water that
passes through them.
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Wetlands

• http//www.fws.gov/chesapeakebay/pdf/habitatguide.
  pdfpage49
• http//maeoe.org/resources/msdetoolkit/MSDE_guide2
  .pdfpage9
• http//www.maeoe.org/habitat/projects/wetlands.php
  
• http//www.marshypoint.org/programs/index.asp_kid
  s, scroll down to and click on field trips.

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Stream Monitoring
Streams play a vital role in maintaining
biodiversity, habitat, and water quality for the
Bay. Unfortunately, many streams are threatened
due to human impact through pollutants, excess
nutrients and sediments, and trash. Students can
help improve a streams health through the
following activities

• Storm drain stenciling
• Stream clean-up
• Water quality monitoring

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Stream Monitoring

• http//www.maeoe.org/habitat/projects/stream_resto
  ration.php
• http//www.iwla.org/index.php?id19
• http//pathfinderscience.net/stream/index.cfm
• http//www.dnr.state.md.us/volunteer/smar.html
• http//www.cbf.org/site/PageServer?pagenameaction
  _outdoors_stencil

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Green School Status
If youre going to improve your schoolyard
habitat, then youre on the road to achieving
Green School status! Since 1999 the Maryland
Green School Awards Program , sponsored by the
Maryland Association for Environmental and
Outdoor Education (MAEOE), has recognized
Maryland public and private schools pre K-12
that1. Use their school site and curricular
instruction to prepare students to understand and
act on current and future environmental
challenges facing all Marylanders.2. Model
environmental best management practices (BMPs) in
building and landscape design, operation and
maintenance.3. Build and maintain partnerships
with the local community to enhance environmental
learning and to design and implement projects and
programs that result in a healthier environment.
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Green School Status

• http//www.dnr.state.md.us/education/greenschools.
  html
• Contact Pat Ghingher, BCPS Senior
  Teacher/Naturalist pghingher_at_bcps.org, to use as
  a resource.
• [phone]
• Contact Jeanne Armacost, Baltimore County
  Department of Environmental Protection and
  Resource Management natural resource specialist,
  to use as a resource.
• [phone] ext. 25

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Are you ready to raise your green flag?