A powerpoint developed by students at AD Harris High School in Panama City, Florida through a grant funded by PLT Greenworks!

1. 2/1/2008 The Beginning of Something Big! Native Learning Ecosystem

2. Native Learning Ecosystems Tae is finding the composition in the soil.

3. Soil Profile There’s William, Iesha and Ashley finding the composition in the soil. We took samples and analyzed for minerals, grain size, texture, and porosity.

4. Measuring the Shade Arbor Three AD Harris students starting to put the outside classroom together! They are mapping out where a shade arbor will be built.

5. Butterfly Garden Davina and Ebony working on mapping out the butterfly garden.

6. Finding the Water Line Mr. Mays and Patrick digging holes to find the water line and the electric line.

7. Watering plants in climatarium Dominique and Ty watering seedlings in the climatarium .

8. Weather Readings for Channel 13 Watch for AD Harris on Channel 13 News nightly Tae and Katie finding out the daily weather. The daily weather data is reported to Channel 13 WMBB, a local news station.

9. Students in Mrs. Limberg’s Biology class working on the tree limbs for the wooden benches. We had to gather a camphor tree (a non native species) that had been recently cut down. The camphor tree was going to be taken to our county garbage dump, instead we took all the leaves off and made it into two twig benches! What a great use for a non native species!

10. Building a raised bed There’s Katie Langston and Ashley Vernon working on a raised flower bed. We’ve never built a flower board and at first didn’t know how to put a nail into a board, but we were successful. We plan to fill it with herbs to help attract butterflies for our butterfly garden !

11. Finally! A twig bench! Di’arius Yarrell, and Wesley are helping to build the benches

12. Our Outdoor Classroom February 8. 2007 The best part about building an outdoor classroom is not that we’ll have a classroom when we’re finished, but the process. So far, we don’t have much, but Robyn Akers mapped out the butterfly garden, a great first step! We’ve got a long way to go and not a lot of time!

13. Shoveling and raking for the gardens and our shade arbor we are building.

14. Walking stones for our butterfly garden. Mason shoveling to get the stones settled so they are sturdy to walk on. Mr. Mays directing on what to do.

15. First class outside in the Native Learning Ecosytem. Earth Science discussing about earthquakes. While the students worked outside, they were focused and driven, classroom disruptions disappeared and motivation was high. They appreciated the freedom of an outdoor environment.

16. Building the arbor, a beautiful entrance into the Native Learning Ecosystem

17. A Grand Entrance (At least in the making)

18. How to Build a Shade Arbor Step 1: measure out area, dig holes, Double check measurements, pour cement Step 2: set in place all poles and measure distances using the Pythagorean Theorem Don’t forget to call the experts from ACE Hardware Step 3: Add the sides very carefully, Don’t fall!

19. Step 4: Nail in the middle supports Step 5: Spread the shade cloth Step 6: Secure the shade cloth Step 7: Add picnic tables, Success!

20. Planting Day! The big day was finally here. After a trip to Native nurseries in Tallahassee Florida, we planted over four hundred dollars worth of native plants funded by a grant from Project Learning Tree GreenWorks. It was a long day but it looks beautiful!

21. Native Learning Ecosystems main focal point is a butterfly garden. In the garden we planted scarlet milkweed, penta, tickseed, and many different varieties of herbs, all to attract butterflies. March 10, 2008 April 15, 2008

22. The diverse views of Native Learning Ecosystems

23. The start of a vegetable garden

24. Rain Barrels are designed to catch rainwater that runs off a roof. By saving it and using it during times of drought, you save water!

25. Mrs. Schafer and Mrs. Limberg’s class worked together to make birdfeeders out of peanut butter and pinecones! Yum! The birds loved it!

26. Rain Barrel Construction Brenda Branch and her third grade students from St. Andrews Elementary visited AD Harris to build their own rain barrels, visit the outdoor classroom, and meet high school students.

27. Native Learning Ecosystems May 28, 2008

28. Was it Worth it? Was it worth it? In the spring of 2007 students asked if we could build an outdoor classroom. so we did. The project was student driven, student researched, and student built. Everything we did was tied to the Sunshine State Standards in Biology and Earth Science. The results were fantastic. Students that once hated coming to school, looked forward to science class, failing students took pride in their work and became stellar students, and students that never got along formed relationships. Students learned how important their environment at AD Harris is and developed a strong sense of community and pride. Native Learning Ecosystem – a permanent fixture at AD Harris High School. It was worth it.