Creating a SchoolYard Habitat

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Creating a School-Yard Habitat

• Crockett Elementary Charter School
• Houston ISD

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What is a School-Yard Habitat?

• Outdoor classroom
• Environmental education
• Curriculum enhancement
• Hands-on, physical activities
• Fun

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Importance of School-Yard Habitats

• Stimulating, Enriching
• State Assessment in Science for 5th Graders
  (TAKS)
• Inner-city
• Limited Mobility
• Native Flora and Fauna
• Conservation

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Components of Our Habitat

• Pond and Wetland Area
• Native Plant and Wildflower Gardens
• Vegetable, Fruit and Herb Gardens
• Native Trees and Shrubs
• Rainwater Harvesting
• Composting

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Benefits of Native Plants

• Seeds readily available
• Disease and pest resistant
• Survives on annual rainfall
• Provide shelter and FOOD for insects, amphibians,
  reptiles, birds and small mammals

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Patio Before
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Patio After
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Butterfly Garden
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Rainwater Harvesting

• 1250 square foot guttered gazebo
• 1600 to 3200 gallons collected monthly
• Two 1100 gallon polyethylene cisterns
• Compensate for evaporation on pond
• Chlorine free irrigation

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School-Yard Pond

• 2500 gallons, 24 inches deep, 25x 30
• 700 sq.ft. asphalt removed
• Native invertebrates, fish and plants
• Wetland/bog area
• Self-sustaining (mosquito larva)
• Observation deck with atrium
• Over-flow berm

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BEFORE...
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Vegetable and Fruit Gardening

• Raised beds on asphalt parking area
• 8x 8 x 8 concrete blocks
• Organic soil
• Compost made on site
• Irrigated using harvested rainwater
• Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers, zucchini,
  herbs, grapes, kumquats, figs, pecans

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Composting
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Our Use of the Habitat

• After-school program
• Friday Family Science Events
• School Festivals
• Science Lab extension
• Weekends
• Summer School
• Ideal teacher to student ratio 16

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Our Activities

• Collecting, identifying aquatic and terrestrial
  organisms
• Identifying plants, plant parts
• Plant and invertebrate life cycle
• Water testing pH, dissolved oxygen
• Habitat management, delittering
• Bird watching, identifying
• Sampling edible plants

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Our School-Yard Habitat Benefactors

• Crescent Realty FACES of Change
• Houston ISD Heavy Equipment Services
• Associated Landscape Services LLC
• Walter P. Moore Engineers
• Asakura Robinson Landscape Architects
• Crockett parents, students and teachers
• Mrs. Elida Troutman, Principal-34 years

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School-Yard Habitat Resources

• HISD
• Local Businesses
• Parents
• Environmental Non-Profits
• Federal Agencies
• State Agencies
• Universities

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Challenges

• Adequate teaching staff for low ratio
• Interest and/or expertise of teaching staff
• Space limitations
• Vandalism
• Up-keep and maintenance
• Increasing parent involvement

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Grant Funding

• United Way-Community Improvement
• Toyota Tapestry
• Houston Police Department-Supplemental
  Environmental Projects
• Galveston Bay Estuary Program

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Environmental Educators Exchange-EEE

• Established in mid-80s
• Serves formal and informal educators
• Offers networking and resource sharing
• Opportunity to coordinate speakers, presentations
  and field classes

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EEE Meetings

• Quarterly-First Wednesday in August, November,
  February and May
• Time Generally from 530 PM to 730 PM
• Location TBA-call or check website

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Next Meeting

• Summer Meeting Jesse Jones Park, Humble, TX
• Canoe trip on Spring Creek
• No cost to attend
• RSVP Lawrence_spence_at_yahoo.com
  281.684.0288
• www.eeehouston.org