About the Project
In 2015 Kaegebein's fifth grade class began a long term courtyard project. The students helped to design an outdoor living learning lab in the new courtyard. The four fifth grade classes each worked on a different part of the project: designing a greenhouse, designing some raised beds for planting, determining what types of plants/bushes/trees would grow successfully in that space, and designing a butterfly garden. For the past two years volunteers from Thermofisher Scientific, a biotechnology company located on Grand Island, came to help the students build the raised beds and fill them with soil. Thermofisher graciously donated the supplies to build the beds. Students also planted seeds and plants, and painted rocks and tiles that will be used to decorate in the courtyard. Fun was had by all and the students and volunteers did a fantastic job! We now have six raised beds, which have already been planted.
In 2016 Kaegebein collaborated with The Fish and Wildlife Service and built a 50 X 50 foot pollinator garden that was designed by some of our fifth graders. The garden was funded by contributions from the Fish and Wildlife Service and a grant from Lowe's. Students in third grade grew swamp milkweed from seed and planted it in the garden. Swamp milkweed is the plant that the monarch butterflies use to eat and lay their eggs. Our hope is to help increase the numbers of monarch butterflies and create a monarch butterfly watch station. Several additional types of perennials were also planted.
In 2017 the Thermofisher Scientific volunteers are constructing learning stations to be placed into the pollinator garden. These learning stations will contain QR codes that will allow students and visitors to learn about pollinators, plants and the ecosystem of a pollinator garden. In addition, we will be adding some fruit trees to the courtyard. Please check back on this site for updates, pictures and news of the courtyard garden project!
In 2016 Kaegebein collaborated with The Fish and Wildlife Service and built a 50 X 50 foot pollinator garden that was designed by some of our fifth graders. The garden was funded by contributions from the Fish and Wildlife Service and a grant from Lowe's. Students in third grade grew swamp milkweed from seed and planted it in the garden. Swamp milkweed is the plant that the monarch butterflies use to eat and lay their eggs. Our hope is to help increase the numbers of monarch butterflies and create a monarch butterfly watch station. Several additional types of perennials were also planted.
In 2017 the Thermofisher Scientific volunteers are constructing learning stations to be placed into the pollinator garden. These learning stations will contain QR codes that will allow students and visitors to learn about pollinators, plants and the ecosystem of a pollinator garden. In addition, we will be adding some fruit trees to the courtyard. Please check back on this site for updates, pictures and news of the courtyard garden project!