Outdoor Classroom & Garden

The outdoor garden classroom near Schmucker

The Outdoor Classroom was dedicated April 21, 2009 and provided its first harvest in 2010. Audubon Pennsylvania rates is a success story. You can read an essay on how to create an outdoor garden written by Erika Szonntag, a WCU Biology Major.The Outdoor Garden was established May 2010 by Science Technology & Environmental Systems (ST&E, Hon 314). It was expanded first in August 2010 by Education for Sustainability: Methods & Projects (EDO 450/550) and again in March 2011 by ST&E.

Plants-Biology Club Project

4/07: 3 red chokeberry, 2 arrowwood & 2 black haw viburnum's
1/08- 4 highbush blueberry, 2 staghorn sumac, 1 e. red cedar, 5 chokecherry, 3 elderberry, 4 pepperbush
5/08-yarrow, coneflower
8/08-grasses-bluestem, love, switch, indian; indigo,oxeye,coneflower,joe pye weed, mountain mint, hyssop
12/08-1 buckeye; 1 sourwood
4/09-2 sourwood; redbud; fringetree ; 4/09-redbud-wish tree
5/10-warm season grasses-big bluestem, Indian grass, switch grass;
4/11- redbud-memorial; berries (3); wildflower area

Outdoor Classroom Dedication

Partners

Partners-Yellow Springs Native Plant Nursery
National Wildlife Federation (Certified Wildlife Habitat)
Audubon Pennsylvania (Bird Habitat Recognition Program

Birds- Feeder Watch Site

A Carbon Cycle (SCI 101) project
Cornell Lab of Ornithology Project Feeder Watch ttp://www.birds.cornell.edu/pfw/
Feeders and water in place 9/07

Other features and considerations

composter, rain barrel, cold frames, green wall, raingarden
Fruit trees next?

Financial Support

Grounds Department;
Collaborative for Excellence in Teacher Preparation – PA (National Science Foundation)
Gordon Natural Area
Department of Geology & Astronomy
Department of Biology
Sustainability Advisory Council
Philadelphia Zoo’ s Community Conservation Grant Program (Green Wall)
Strategic Technology Concepts of West Chester (signs)
Brandywine Valley Association (raingarden)

Dedicated

April 21, 2009