Embedded Files
What is the “SPFHS Native Ecosystem”?
What is the “SPFHS Native Ecosystem”?
As a part of our environmental science curriculum, SPFHS will be restoring a native habitat in our courtyard. This self-sustaining native ecosystem will help to improve the biodiversity of our campus by providing food and shelter for native pollinator species in our local environment including bees, butterflies, birds and even bats.
The SPFHS Native Ecosystem is the culmination of a wide variety of projects and initiatives including the 2023 SPFHS Native Pollinator Garden and was developed with help from Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Wild Birds Unlimited, Pinelands Nursery and the Xerces Society with funding provided by the Environmental Club as well as grants from the EEF of SPF.
The SPFHS Native Ecosystem provides students with a unique opportunity to not only model horticultural practices and study animal behavior, but also connect students with their environment and serves as a gateway stewardship experience for students. Through the program, students learn to see connections between human land use and the natural world. It is an opportunity to help conserve numerous pollinator species that face perilous decline throughout their range and protect biodiversity in our own backyards.
What Is A Native Ecosystem?
What Is A Native Ecosystem?
As the name suggests, a native ecosystem is designed to be self-perpetuating and require minimal active management and maintenance through the incorporation of native, perennial plants.
These plants provide food and shelter to animals that in turn act as pollinators and support the local ecosystem and food web (e.g. bees, birds, butterflies, moths, wasps, bats, and small mammals). Ultimately, native ecosystems generate more robust and resilient communities by supporting biodiversity and ecosystem services.
You can explore the pollinator plants native to our area using these resources:
Garden for Wildlife from the National Wildlife Federation
Pollinator Plants of the Mid-Atlantic Region from the Xerces Society
Going Native: A Guide to Landscaping with Native Plants in New Jersey from Jersey Yards
Page updated
Report abuse