| SFE Grant Report: Amery Middle School
 Getting
down and dirty was a necessary part of the fun
(and the work) for students at the Amery Middle
School in Amery, WI. Recipients of a 2001 Seeds
for Education Grant, students used native plants
to landscape the school’s
courtyard which previously consisted
of grass, dandelions, and a cement patio with
a picnic table. Windows from the school’s
main foyer, as well as from classrooms, look
out over the courtyard at the back of the school.
Although the school was built 10 years ago,
this was the first landscaping effort on the
grounds.
The work was divided among three classrooms,
with students from each responsible for designing
and planting a portion of the courtyard.
Students could select only native plants which
would thrive under the specific soil and light
conditions and which would grow to an appropriate
height for viewing from inside the building
as well as from the patio. In addition, students
chose varieties of forbs which would bloom from
May through October.
After ordering the plants, students began preparing
the site and learning about weed management.
Planting was completed by the end of
October.
Then the waiting began. Students watched eagerly
as the new shoots appeared and were thrilled
to see some blooms that first spring!
This prairie garden project inspired
a similar project at the district’s elementary
school and the start of a restoration project
at another site.
This article appeared in the May/June 2002
issue of the Wild Ones Journal.
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