Natural Resources II class to enhance campus with native foilage  

Posted Nov. 1, 2022

By Tyler Lamar

Cub Reporter

The Natural Resources II class will be modifying campus by incorporating a variety of native wildflowers and other features for student use. 

Marine Biology and Natural Resources teacher David Gilbert is advising his class with their project to remodel the small courtyard outside the library.  They will be adding an abundance of native flowers, and other bird and pollinator habitats, as well as a nature trail and benches for students to use during lunch. They’re also renewing the small water feature, as well as expanding it. 

The design above is attributed to Gilbert’s former students, Colton Veltcamp, Vure Tee, Max Stutz, and Aster Curnow. Last year’s Natural Resources II class illustrated the landscape plan, and developed a catalog of flowers which they will plant in the space. 

These plans for the former golf courtyard are being executed this school year by the current Natural Resources II class. To complete everything, they’re expecting it to take the entire school year. At this point in the year, the class is in the preparation process, but they will soon be implementing the plans. So far they have begun by placing flags in the courtyard to mark where they will plant flowers. The class is completing this all on their own, with no outside assistance. 

Each year, the Natural Resources II class has a project to work on throughout the year. The way this works is that one year, Natural Resources II creates a plan, and the next year’s class carries it out as well as creating a new plan for the next year’s class to execute. The most recent project Natural Resources II conducted was building the pond in the Science courtyard, as well as adding the walkway. They finished out this project last year by planting several trees and adding a bat box. 

“It’ll be a great addition to the school and it will transform the courtyard,” said senior Natural Resources II student Ione Walton.

In the prerequisite class, Natural Resources I, students work on familiarizing themselves with interpreting maps, using GPS, using compasses, and working in greenhouses. The class mainly revolves around a lot of paperwork and book-learning. In Natural Resources II, students get to do a lot more hands-on learning. They spend much of their time gardening, working with insects, and building. Students taking this class also get to go on frequent field trips. 

“Students learn best by doing,” Gilbert said.