Environmental Club

Hutchinson Native Pollinator Garden Project

 In this six-part series, participants of all ages will learn about pollinators and native plants through active learning and play. Together we’ll learn how to foster community with our more-than-human friends through the creation of a pollinator garden, designing a garden for the community of Hutchinson Elementary School & local ecosystem.

September 22, 2025

2:40-4:30 Location: Science Room

NECTAR

 Making Friends with Bugs and Birds

In this class, we’ll explore questions like: Why does the monarch butterfly only eat milkweed when it’s a caterpillar? Why do bees have favorite flowers? Why do birds need bugs? Through play-based activities, we’ll learn why native plants are essential for pollinators and birds and how the garden we are planting will benefit our local ecosystem. Students will also consider what nourishes and feeds them as unique individuals in their ecosystems! Students will choose a local bird or bug they want to support with the pollinator garden. 

October 6, 2025

2:40-4:30 Location: Science Room

ROOT SYSTEMS

How we grow deep roots and support each other

In this class, we’ll answer questions like, Who was here before us? How did they take care of their environment? What plants did they use & how? We’ll learn to identify whether a plant is native, introduced, or invasive in a nearby area. By learning about native plant root systems, we’ll learn to be resilient and work together in our dry climate. 

October 22, 2025

2:40-4:30 Location: Science Room

GARDEN BEDTIME

Preparation and Review

In this class, students will collaboratively brainstorm and select a name for the new pollinator garden, and make art to generate excitement for the new garden. We will review the principles from previous classes, helping the kids remember the connection between native plants and wildlife. We’ll talk about the seasonal changes of a plant’s life cycle, focusing on strategies that plants use to survive winter. 

March 2026

WONDER – Creating Spaces for Discovery

In this class, we’ll talk about gardens as spaces for play, relaxation, and discovery. We’ll think about how we want to move through the space of the garden, our sensory experiences, and what colors and textures make us feel excited. Calm? We’ll introduce students to native plants that will be used in the garden, and show them which birds and pollinators are supported by each plant! Students will choose a favorite wildflower or other plant to be their plant buddy. Students' artwork will be used to create the landscape design for the garden. 

 April 

PLANTING OUR GARDEN – Garden Installation

It’s planting day! The area will be prepared by Restorative Landscape Design to make the planting easy and fun for the kids; the holes will be pre-drilled, with plants arranged on top of the holes in their pots. Students and parents are invited to join us in the planting of our garden. We’ll discuss how to plant drought-tolerant native plants, reviewing the lessons from the last class and talking about how to give xeric plants the best head start through thoughtful planting. We’ll also discuss the purpose of mulch, and will have mulch available for kids who are more interested in that activity. Finally, we'll have a dance party to encourage the plants to grow deep and wide! 

NOTE: We will be requesting parent volunteers!

May

TAKING CARE OF OUR GARDEN - Maintenance, Care, and Community Invitation

This series culminates in a community event where students unveil the garden to the broader community – sharing their experiences, writing or art, and environmental wisdom. Through an active game, we’ll learn how the garden provides a role in providing winter habitat. We’ll also learn how to care for our garden – and the communities we’re a part of. We’ll get our hands dirty with some weeding, and talk about questions like: “What is a weed? Who decides what is or isn’t a weed? When should we leave weeds? When taking care of the garden, how do we know if a plant is a weed or not?”  We will paint a sign for the garden using the garden name that the Environmental Club students came up with! 

For more information, join the Environmental Club social group on Konstella or contact Jen Noon jennoon1980@gmail.com