School Adopt-A-Flat
Overview
In recent years, the Adopt-A-Flat program has worked with local teachers to introduce students to the concept of restoration through classroom presentations and the raising of native grasses for planting along Putah Creek. During the 2007-2008 school year, fourth grade classes raising grass flats had the opportunity to conduct investigations, like comparing growth between potting soil and compost substrates, as a means to better engage students and fulfill state science standards. At the end of their studies students plant their native grass plugs on class field trips or public planting events at the UC Davis Riparian Reserve or select sites around Winters.
2007-2008 School Year
In January 2008, PCC staff and UC Davis interns visited classrooms to present information on native grasses and the need for restoration. Students seeded grasses and cared for them over the course of several weeks, eagerly awaiting germination and seeing how fast they would grow!
Seven classes from four schools in Davis participated in AAF this spring. Four of these classes analyzed the results of growing blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus) in different soils to help the PCC fine-tune its growing instructions. All Davis classes donated their grasses back to PCC for use during a Saturday public planting event at the UC Davis Riparian Reserve.
Five classes from Shirley Rominger Intermediate School in Winters also raised native grasses. Two months after their seeding assembly, students from four of these classes took a field trip to the Youth Campground Area at Lake Solano Regional Park. Over two days, students planted the grasses they had grown, took a short hike, and collected plant cuttings to start a habitat restoration project for the pipevine swallowtail butterfly. These large black butterflies appeared as if on cue for each group, adding greatly to everyone’s excitement.
In total, approximately 300 students were exposed to the joy of growing native grasses and the pride of helping the creek’s human and wildlife community. By extension, 300 families were introduced to the work of the PCC through newsletters, planting invitations, and field trip information graciously distributed by participating teachers. And let’s not forget the on-the-ground results made possible by AAF: about 2,500 viable plugs were planted at two sites for increased erosion control and habitat.
School Experiments
Birch Lane, Willet, and North Davis Elementary Schools participated in native grass growing experiments. 4th grade students from Willet compared the growth rates of 4 species of native grasses (Purple Needlegrass, Blue Wildrye, Creeping Wildrye, and Meadow Barley) while North Davis and Birch Lane 4th graders compared different soil mediums. The results of their classroom experiments are below:
Birch Lane
North Davis
Willet
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