THE CONCEPT:
Schools are places of hope and learning for our youth, the future caretakers of our earth. The best way to teach and learn about nature is to provide the student with natural, outdoor demonstration settings. Creating and sustaining an OWLS is a positive approach and an effective tool for teaching students (of all ages) responsible and constructive actions which benefits both wildlife and our environment.
GOALS:
Our goals are to develop features on the Riverside OWLS which will: 1) attract wildlife for study purposes by our students and after school programs, 2) increase an appreciation for wildlife and habitat, 3) develop a greater understanding of the dependency of wildlife on specific habitat, 4) encourage the protection and/or restoring of habitat to increase wildlife diversity and numbers.
SITE LOCATION AND FEATURES:
The Riverside Outdoor Wildlife Learning Site is located on the southwest corner of the Riverside Elementary School grounds. It is rectangular in shape and occupies nearly three acres. The site presently is covered with a mixture of weeds and grass. There are many beautiful established trees at the site as well. This acreage was the site of an old farmstead before the school was built.
Features will include three songbird gardens, a hummingbird garden, a butterfly garden, an animal tracking area, a brush pile, a quail run/habitat area, shelter belts consisting of eastern red cedar and flowering sumac, a split rail fence with flowering vines, a wildlife observatory area, a native tall grass area, bird baths placed at various sites, a wood chip path through the OWLS site, three feeding stations, and 3-5 nesting stations along with a weather station area. Students, teachers, parents, and community volunteers will construct the features.
Emporia State Federal Credit Union's "Worth Noting" Article
Student Programs
