
Last Saturday a passel of Cub Scouts and their Dads helped to install a line of raspberries protected by a split rail fence just west of the playground, outside room 107. With good luck and care it will start to resuscitate that planting area. Well done.
Last week Waters 2nd grade trekked to the River and to their glee we discovered a leech! (also a scud, sowbug, bloodworm and water flea). 5th grade went to Sauganash and pulled the lovely (but invasive) Lily of the Valley.
On Thursday our 8th graders went to the spectacular Illinois Beach State Park and bumped into turtles, snakes and a Sandhill Crane. On Friday our seventh graders caught two invasive round gobies, and did sand art. A wonderful, active week in ecology.
This week : Repeat! Almost.
On Tuesday, May 10, at 8:30, 2nd grade, Room 210, will visit the River at Berteau: weather, flowers and mud bugs! Join us after drop off, back by 10:30
On Wednesday, May 11, Room 307, 4th Grade Mighty Acorns visit Sauganash to search out the rare ephemeral spring wildflowers. We have been studying the "Secret Code of Plants", the endlessly repeated miracle of gene mixing. They are tasked to find plants with 3 petals, four petals, five petals ... etc, and look closer at their nether parts. There is a great diversity of form and a great unity of function in these beautiful beings. They will also help rid Sauganash of another beautiful flower, that sadly doesn't do well sharing resources, but becomes clonal, bossy and dominant. They smell good! Join us at 9:00 in the Conference Room for a briefing. Picnic lunch. Back by 1:00.
On Wednesday, May 12, Room 207 4th grade Mighty Acorns repeats the above.
On Friday, May 13, 7th Grade Room 303 is off to Montrose Point to explore Lake Michigan food chains by fishing for gobies. After lunch we do an art activity in the dunes that double as a trash pick up.
Saturday, May 12, is Chicago River Day. We will be working on the river at Berteau: digging native plants that volunteered into the wood chip paths, and transplanting them into the rip on the new river bank. We will have wood chips and wheel barrows, lemonade and snacks. We start at 9:00 and go until noon.