On two unseasonably warm and sunny October days, staff from Cincinnati Nature Center helped nearly 300 students from two local elementary schools install native pollinator gardens within their respective schoolyards.
First up was Woodlawn Elementary School in the Princeton School District of Hamilton County. There, Nature Center staff brought 100 native plants for the fifth grade class to create their school’s pollinator garden.
The next day, Nature Center staff ventured to Seipelt Elementary School in the Milford Exempted Village School District in Clermont County with 100 plants in tow for the third, fifth, and sixth grade students to use in their garden creation.
Both days saw students learning about native plants, mapping out gardens, digging holes, planting, and mulching their new gardens, as Nature Center staff guided them through the steps.
“All of the students did an outstanding job with the work we set out for them,” says Melissa Sabo, School Programs Manager at the Nature Center. “From start to finish, they were enthusiastic and hands-on every step of the way.”
Funded by a grant from the Ohio Environmental Education Fund, these two new school garden projects are the next step in the Nature Center’s Schoolyard Native Plant Program. The first native pollinator garden was installed in 2019 at Mulberry Elementary School, also in Milford.
“There’s a growing body of evidence that kids need to be able to get outdoors and into green spaces at school,” says Sabo. “It helps their mental, emotional, and physical well-being and helps them to develop better relationship skills. The Schoolyard Native Gardens build directly on that research, bringing nature right to the students themselves.”
Being a part of this program also empowers teachers to include dynamic, hands-on experiences into their curriculum. Plus, working side-by-side with their students to plant and tend to the garden helps to build trust and offers more chances for discovery, exploration, and continued learning.
Additionally, by adding native gardens at schools that are in urban and suburban areas that have little to no natural spaces, the Nature Center is helping students create spots to help local wildlife and pollinators. Having native plants directly in communities creates critical safe havens of food, shelter, and respite for migratory birds, insects, and other animals.
“Our sixth graders loved planting the pollinator garden today with the Nature Center,” says Kendre Perry, a teacher at Seipelt Elementary School. “We can’t wait to see all of the pollinators this spring and create learning experiences in this outdoor classroom.”