2022-23 Activities

With assistance from Mrs Terri Hall (Habitat Garden advocate) and Mrs Ruth Bishop (Master Gardener), the Nature Club spread mulch, pulled weeds, cleaned algae from the water feature, and planted vegetables and new sensory garden plants.

Families can officially sign up to "adopt" a part of the garden over the summer to help maintain, if they wish or are able. Or you can stop by at any time to explore, pick veggies, pull a few weeds, have a picnic, or simply enjoy the space over the summer months!

Once again our plans were foiled by Mother Nature but the group didn't let the weather stop us from making the best of the afternoon! After another session of yoga working to grow and challenge our bodies, we then planted vegetable seeds and an assortment of pansies! Just as our bodies benefit from water, sunshine, and knowing when we need to care a little deeper for ourselves and pay attention to the changes that happen, so does nature in all its beauty. Students took home two different vegetable plants and a flower to tend to over the coming months to observe the small changes and learn to further care for them.

The Nature Club welcomed spring by spending our March meeting outside, enjoying the sunshine and cool breeze as we learned all about pollinators! Kelly Riley from the Wayne County Soil and Water Conservation District stopped by and taught us about milkweed, how to harvest the seeds, and how to make seed bombs to help these vital plants grow.

The club was visited by local maple syrup makers, the Workman family. Their home operation processes hundreds of gallons of syrup each late winter/early spring from over 700 maple trees. We learned about the process of collecting sap and boiling into maple syrup and also got to see some of the tools that are used. Our learning experience was even accompanied by a tasting of their maple syrup!

Did you know? Ohio is home to 427 different bird species! Many of these birds spend their whole year in Ohio and do not migrate, which makes for great winter birdwatching opportunities! Below is a list of the different birds you may encounter in your backyard, woods, or park.

Using simple materials like pine cones, peanut butter, and even Cheerios, you can make bird feeders that will attract these beautiful birds to your yard. Happy watching!

Fall has arrived and it's time to enjoy all the sensory changes it has to offer: the colors, smells, and cooler temperatures are just waiting to be explored by all!

First, students enjoyed learning to make roses from freshly fallen leaves.

Then the group divided duties to help clean up the garden before winter time. This including raking some leaves (before jumping in of course!), pulling out dead herbs/vegetable plants, and learning how to rotate the compost bin.

In addition to the school's compost pile, students learned the necessary "ingredients" to making the perfect compost and filled their own jars to observe the decomposition over the coming months at home.