Schoolyard Habitat Evaluation for the Evergreen Elementary School, Salem Township, PA Prepared by John Jose, Otter Creek

Environmental Education Services December 6, 2011

TABLE OF CONTENTS Purpose.....1 Summary...1 Summary of available campus habitats and initial steps that can be taken to begin the implementation of recommended programs ....2 Characterization of undeveloped, open areas on campus and associated environmental education programming to be considered.....3 I. Eastern Bluebird Nest Box Program.3 II. Pond and Aquatic Ecology Studies.....4 III. Woodlands.....6 IV. Growing Vegetables for Non-consumptive Use...8 V. Viola Growing Project....9 VI. Humming Bird and Butterfly Perennial Flower Beds......11 VII. Wetland Habitat..12 Illustration 1: Pond.....13 Illustration 2: Woodland Parcel Adjacent to Pond.....13 Illustration 3: Wooden Board as Artificial Cover Object Creating Microhabitat on Forest Floor.14 Illustration 4: Woodland Parcel along the Northern Property Boundary...15 Illustration 5: Woodland Parcel Located in the Southwestern Corner of the School Property that Receives Treated Wastewater.15 Illustration 6: Side of School Building with Southern Exposure, Along Which Raised Beds Could Potentially be Planted.16 Illustration 7: Wetland Habitats on the Lower End of Campus, Adjacent to Entrance Road16 Appendix A: Eastern Bluebird Box Installation and Nest Monitoring...17 Appendix B: Deer Tick Bite Prevention.18 Appendix C: The Benefits of Raised Beds in Schoolyard Gardening19

PURPOSE: To provide a template for the short- and long-term development of on-site environmental education programming on the campus of the Evergreen Elementary School. SUMMARY: The Evergreen Elementary School (Evergreen), located in Salem Township, Wayne County, PA, is part of the Western Wayne School District. Evergreen includes grades pre-K through 5th and has an enrollment of ~700 students. This new school, which first opened its doors for the 2011-2012 academic year, incorporates various green technologies (on-site wastewater treatment and irrigation, geothermal heating, stormwater infiltration ponds, and the use of low-VOC materials for interior construction, etc.) designed to reduce its environmental impact and operating costs, and to provide a healthier, indoor environment for its students. Geographic coordinates for the school are N41.415245/ W75.402896 and elevation is ~1600 feet. The overall footprint of the schools campus is approximately 35 acres. The school campus lies within the Wallenpaupack Creek Watershed, which is a sub-watershed of the Delaware River Basin drainage. The campus is representative of much of Wayne County, PA: a mix of open lands (with evidence of the influence of agricultural use) and woodlands. Open field areas predominate over woodlands found on the campus, with small woodlots located in the northeastern and southwestern corners of the school property. In addition, wetlands and a small pond are found in the lower, eastern portion of the campus. The campus topography reflects a gradual, rolling landscape that slopes downward from the upper, westernmost portion of the campus, where the school is situated, downward to the lower, easternmost section. This document, prepared by Otter Creek Environmental Education Services (OCEES), is intended to serve as a blueprint to guide the Evergreen Elementary school in the short- and long-term establishment of in-situ environmental education programming. On-campus programming can take several forms, including holding an annual Evergreen Ecology Field Day(s), environmental clubs, teachers visiting areas on campus with their classes, structured programs with specific dates outlined for field activities, etc. On-campus programming will provide hands-on, experiential learning that will support and enhance Evergreen curricula, including math, science, reading and writing programs.

SUMMARY OF CAMPUS HABITATS AVAILABLE AND STEPS THAT CAN BE TAKEN TO BEGIN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDED PROGRAMS: School campuses vary greatly in the on-site habitats they offer that can support environmental education programming. The best use should be made of whatever habitats are available. The primary habitat attributes present on the Evergreen campus are its open field areas and a small pond. Available woodlands occur in small, fragmented lots and will require some effort to make them program-ready if they are to be utilized. A wetland area has potential, but accessing it may present challenges. Observations of the fauna it supports, conducted in the spring, are needed to better determine the value of the wetlands from an environmental education perspective. The table below outlines recommendations for steps that can be taken - prior to the onset of more severe winter weather to begin to implement the recommended programs, outlined in this document, for the Evergreen Elementary School. Program Bluebird Box Trail Area/habitat Baseball field and possibly the large field across from the baseball field Parcel adjacent to pond Various, potential locations on campus Comments Can be put into place now for incorporation into spring 2012 programming. Placing a small sample of wooden boards on the forest floor of this woodlot would give some indication of the suitability of this site to a Life Under a Log ecology program. Weather and lawn conditions permitting, installation of raised beds could begin in preparation for spring 2012 use.

Woodland Ecology Raised bed gardening for flowers and nonconsumptive vegetable crops

CHARACTERIZATION OF UNDEVELOPED, OPEN AREAS ON CAMPUS AND ASSOCIATED ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION PROGRAMING TO BE CONSIDERED: Habitats that have the potential to be utilized to support on-campus programming, as well as examples of specific programs that can support and be incorporated into school curricula, are described, in detail, below. As additional program ideas are generated, OCEES will present these to Evergreen for consideration. I. EASTERN BLUEBIRD NEST BOX PROGRAM: Eastern bluebirds, a native member of Pennsylvanias avifauna, can be induced to nest in open areas with the proper placement of appropriately constructed nest boxes. Lawn and field areas on the Evergreen campus provide potential sites for the establishment of bluebird nest boxes. Based on the nest box site selection criteria listed in Appendix A, the following locations are recommended for consideration for the placement of pairs of nesting boxes: Around the perimeter of the baseball field, with boxes erected adjacent to the corner of the parking lot, behind the batting cage; along the entrance road; and possibly along the outer edge of the outfield. Also, the lower, large field on the south side of the school, particularly the corner of the field closest to the access road.

This would allow for the establishment of 3 to 4 locations for nest boxes, in effect creating a short bluebird box trail. This number of nest boxes will increase the chances that at least one of the boxes will be occupied by nesting adult birds and will offer two options for conducting observations: Students could circuit through the bluebird trail or (to save time) visit a single pair of boxes supporting at least one nesting species. Also, if more than one nest box site location is active, this would allow for spreading out student observations, over different nesting locations, helping to minimize disturbance to any one box or pair of active boxes. An alternative area that could provide nest box sites is the edge of the upper, large, irrigated field on the south side of the school building, provided the spray irrigation does not interfere with students safely conducting observations. Some eastern bluebirds overwinter in our region and bluebirds may begin investigating nest boxes and potential territories in late winter. Taking this into consideration, if Evergreen elects to establish this program, it is highly recommended that boxes be erected in advance, before winter sets in and makes nest box placement difficult, if not impossible, until the following spring when territory and nest site selection is already underway (at the Stourbridge Primary Center, where OCEES recently established a pair of nesting boxes between the 1st and 2nd grade wings of the school, bluebirds have already been observed, by teachers and students, investigating the boxes). Pros: 1. The Evergreen grounds provide habitat conducive to supporting breeding pairs of blue birds and other cavity-nesting, songbird species.

I. Eastern Bluebird Nest Box Program (contd.): 2. Established bluebird boxes would provide an in-situ program that is relatively inexpensive and simple to establish and that should produce results quickly, beginning in the spring of 2012. 3. The presence of the boxes would provide a very visible symbol of Evergreens commitment to, and focus on, utilizing school grounds to support on-campus environmental education programming. 4. This type of program is generally highly enjoyed by children of all ages and can help to generate interest in the students taking ownership of their campus environs and becoming good stewards of the campus landscape. Cons: 1. Boxes need to be checked every seven to ten days, during the nesting season, from April through August. Once protocols, which are relatively simple, for checking boxes are understood, this can be accomplished by laypeople, with an interest in this project, which could include Evergreen staff that are present during the summer, PTA members, nearby interested families with students in Evergreen, etc. Note: House sparrows are a non-native species of songbird that will out-compete bluebirds and other native bird species for nest boxes. During checks of nest boxes, if house sparrows are found to be nesting, the nest (and eggs and/or fledglings, if present) should be removed. Removing house sparrow nests and their contents is within state regulations governing the protection of song birds, because house sparrows are a non-native species that can be detrimental to populations of native species of cavity nesters, including bluebirds. 2. Also, depending on when nesting commences and when the academic year at Evergreen terminates, students may not be able to observe the full nesting cycle, including observing birds fledging from nest boxes and being fed by and foraging with parent birds. ________________________________________________________________________________

II. POND AND AQUATIC ECOLOGY STUDIES: A small pond is located on the eastern portion of campus, immediately north of the entrance road. The open area around the edge of the pond is dominated by tall grasses and other herbaceous and shrubby growth. Immediately adjacent to and surrounding the open area around the pond is a small woodlot. The pond, approximately 0.5 acres in size, appears to be mesotrophic to eutrophic (influenced by moderate to higher amounts of nutrient inputs from its contributing watershed), which is typical of many ponds and lakes regionally. Shallow areas, along the edge of the pond, support emergent, aquatic vegetation. This vegetation, as an important ecological component of the larger, pond habitat continuum, would be expected to support an aquatic community of organisms, in various life stages, potentially including, but not limited to:

II. Pond and Aquatic Ecology Studies (contd.): Amphibians (e.g. green frogs and red-spotted newts) Reptiles (e.g. eastern painted turtles) Warm water fish typical of a pond ecosystem (e.g. sunfish and brown bullhead catfish) Aquatic insects (e.g. dragonflies, caddisflies, various aquatic beetle species, etc.) Gastropods (e.g. freshwater snails)

Note: With the exception of eastern painted turtles and other reptiles that may inhabit the pond, but are now hibernating, sampling conducted by OCEES, on 11-26-11, found representatives of all of the aforementioned groups of organisms to be present. Further sampling, conducted in the spring and fall, when students would potentially be utilizing the pond in the future, would provide a better, representative picture of what organisms the pond supports that the students could expect to collect and study. Collection, temporary containment, and study of these organisms by students, using long-handled nets, containers, field ID guides, etc., would enable the students to experience major components of the pond aquatic system, to construct a pond food web, and to observe unique anatomical and physiological adaptations and life cycles of organisms collected, etc. This type of activity is wellsuited to any grade level, although students in lower grades may have some difficulty with properly utilizing sampling nets and handling organisms collected. With the proper equipment, the open water column also presents the opportunity for students to measure and collect scientific data, including physical (e.g. water temperature), chemical (e.g. nutrient and dissolved oxygen levels) and biological parameters (microscopic phyto- and zooplankton suspended in the water column). Given the instruments and devices needed to obtain measurements of the aforementioned ecological parameters, this would be most appropriate for upper grade levels at Evergreen. The wet, uneven and sometimes downward-sloped surface of the open, grassy area immediately around the edge of the pond may present a challenge to providing relatively easy, dry, and safe access to the pond for the students. In addition, moist, unmowed grassy areas can be conducive to supporting deer ticks (Appendix B). A potential solution to address this would be the construction of a deck or platform structure that would extend to the edge of pond from the open, grassy area immediately adjacent to the edge of the pond (See Illustration 1). The deck could be designed to accommodate a full classroom of students and to provide safe access to investigate the pond ecosystem with sampling nets and instruments. An extension of this deck, out into the pond, would enable students to better conduct the aforementioned sampling of the open water column. Depending on exactly where the deck would be located, a boardwalk, leading from the edge of the access road to the deck may also be helpful, although a mowed, maintained path through the grass, to the deck, may suffice.

II. Pond and Aquatic Ecology Studies (contd.): Pros: 1. A relatively short, easy walk from the school to this pond ecosystem and the presence of the stand of emergent, aquatic vegetation, which can be sampled by students relatively easily and would be expected to support a diverse vertebrate and invertebrate community. Cons: 1. The need, most likely, for the construction of a deck/platform and possibly a section of boardwalk from the edge of the access road, and the concomitant costs, planning, and environmental permitting that would be required to accomplish this. 2. Collection of organisms by students would be concentrated in one area of the emergent vegetation found close to the shoreline of the pond. ________________________________________________________________________________

III. WOODLANDS - Small parcels of woodlands, reflecting various degrees of recent and historic human use, are located on campus. A. Woodland parcel located in the northeast corner of the school property, adjacent to the pond: The tree canopy of this small, woodland stand is dominated by red maple, black cherry and gray birch, with high bush blueberry and multiflora rose among the dominate plants in the understory (See Illustration 2). This woodlot would require some commitment of resources to bring it to the point of providing a venue for woodland ecology education. This is primarily due to the relatively thick vegetation in the understory. Although it provides ecological benefits for some wildlife species, multiflora rose is a non-native, problematic, invasive plant. It develops thick stems and heavy thorns and can overtake habitats from open fields to woodlands. It is generally controlled through mechanical measures (e.g. mowing) and/or the application of herbicides. The high bush blueberry shrubs, although native and ecologically beneficial, would also need to be cut in some places to allow access, via a path, through this woodlot. The path would have to be delineated and adhered to, to prevent students from encountering multiflora rose off the path in areas where it would not all be removed. Even with the above-listed measures taken to make this woodlot an accessible educational venue, the fact that it is a small, fragmented woodlot (standing by itself, apart from a larger, intact woodland landscape) and is lacking a more developed, mature forest canopy will tend to limit the level of biodiversity it can support, thus making it less productive from an educational standpoint. Among ecology programs offered by OCEES is a woodland ecology program, Life Under a Log, which utilizes naturally-occurring (downed tree trunks and large branches and rocks on the ground) and artificial (raw wooden boards (See Illustration 3)) cover objects placed on-site. These cover objects can be used to highlight important ecological concepts via an exploration of the invertebrate and vertebrate community utilizing them as microhabitats within the larger forestland habitat.

III. Woodlands (contd.): Placing a small sample of boards (e.g. ten, 2-3 foot long boards at 8-12 inches wide and 1-2 inches thick) on the forest floor of this woodlot would give some indication of the suitability of this site to this program. If placed on the ground now, the boards will start to function as effective cover objects within a year. Pros: 1. Could support woodland ecology study programs with some alterations to habitat to make it accessible to students. Cons: 1. A relatively small parcel, existing as a forest fragment, lacking habitat diversity and without a contiguous, mature forest canopy. 2. Also, a thick understory, including multiflora rose and high bush blueberry that would need to be partially cleared and then maintained to create exploratory walking trails. 3. Old materials and rubbish that may be present that would need to be removed. 4. The need to determine exact boundary line of school property in this woodlot.

B. Woodland parcel along the northern property boundary: Very similar in species composition, to the above-described parcel, is a woodlot strip along the boundary between the property of the neighboring mill and the school campus (See Illustration 4). This small tract has the same limitations, from an environmental education standpoint, as the abovedescribed woodland, but it appears to largely lack multiflora rose in its understory. Pros: 1. Contiguous to the above-described woodlot and could support woodland ecology study programs with some alterations to habitat (creation of paths) to make it accessible to students. Cons: 1. Immediately adjacent to neighboring property with a current and historical use as an industrial timber mill. 2. A relatively small parcel, existing as a forest fragment, lacking habitat diversity and without a contiguous, mature forest canopy. 3. High bush blueberry in the understory that would need to be partially cleared and then maintained to create exploratory walking trails. 4. Old materials and rubbish that may be present that would need to be removed.

III. Woodlands (contd.): C. Woodland parcel located in the southwestern corner of the school property that receives treated wastewater: This woodland is comprised of a mix of red maple, eastern hemlock, gray and yellow birch, and wild cherry trees, along with other tree species. Because this parcel receives treated waste water, as a component of the schools wastewater disposal process, it cannot be utilized as a venue for woodland ecology education. Also, it appears that, in installing the spray irrigation system and in preparing this site to receive treated wastewater, the forest floor was cleared of downed forest litter and undergrowth, the result of which is a relatively linear forest habitat and, in turn, a more limited biodiversity of indigenous flora and fauna (See Illustration 5). If it was determined that this woodlot could be used during non-irrigation times without presenting any chance of a health threat to school students, the aforementioned lack of downed vegetation on the forest floor, the absence of an understory of growing vegetation, and the lack of an overall more diversified forest habitat would limit its usefulness as a venue for environmental education. ________________________________________________________________________________

IV. GROWING VEGETABLES FOR NON-CONSUMPTIVE USE: The side of the school building that faces onto the large, upper, irrigated field has a south-facing exposure, conducive to the growing of warm season crops, such as pumpkins and gourds (See Illustration 6). Provided the wastewater irrigation of the adjoining field would not pose a health threat to students that would be tending raised beds, this area has the potential to support the growing of pumpkins or gourds in raised beds. (For several reasons raised beds (See Appendix C), with deer exclosure panels installed, are recommended). The beds would run parallel, length-wise to the school building and would be located right alongside the south-facing wall. An existing source of water for watering the growing crops would have to already be in place or would have to be installed. Given the space demands of growing pumpkin plants (Small fruited = 18 ft2, Medium = 24 ft2, Large = 30 ft2, and Giant = 48 ft2 (as per Johnnys Select Seeds)) and the concomitant materials required to support construction of raised beds, it may be most practical for pumpkin plants to be grown on a per class basis, vs. each student growing their own plant. Plants started indoors and grown under grow lights within Evergreen or off-campus, by an outside source, would be transplanted out after the danger of spring frost has passed (latter part of May to the beginning of June). The growing pumpkins would need to be maintained and monitored through the summer and into early fall, when school resumes and the pumpkins can be harvested. Because students will not all be in the same class together that they were in the year before, one suggestion is for the pumpkins to be gifted to the students of the same grade, when school resumes in the fall. In other words, if students in the 4th grade plant pumpkins in the spring, when the pumpkins mature in the fall of the following school year, they would be gifted to the new class

IV. Growing Vegetables for Non-consumptive Use (contd.): of 4th grade classes. In turn, these fourth graders would plant and maintain pumpkins through the spring, which would be harvested by the next 4th grade class in the fall and so on. Alternatively, pumpkins could be harvested by the same group of students that planted them (5th grade classes would harvest what they planted the prior spring, as 4th grade students, without being concerned about which classroom gets which pumpkins). If there was an interest in having more pumpkins grown per student, versus having students grow pumpkins on a per class basis, then consideration could be given to an 8 ft, high-tensile wire deer fence that would surround a larger number of raised beds, vs. having to enclose a larger number of raised beds individually, and/or smaller varieties of pumpkins could be grown that would require less space. Another area that could be considered for growing pumpkins would be the lower, large field, below the large irrigated field. However, consideration would have to be given to getting a source of water down to this area for watering pumpkins. Also, if there is potential that this field would be pressed into service in the future to accept treated waster water, this may preclude its use for growing pumpkins or for any other school programming. Pros: 1. Students gain hands-on, direct experience and acquire knowledge in the full process, from planting seeds to harvest, of growing a vegetable crop, which would provide them with a valuable life skill. If pumpkins are gifted to the proceeding class of the same grade, they would also experience growing a food crop for other people. Cons: 1. Students do not get to participate in the full process of growing their pumpkins, given that much of the growing season takes place during the summer. However, they could be encouraged to visit the raised beds during the summer. Specific days could be established during the summer on which students would be invited to visit the pumpkin beds to see their progress. 2. Growing plants need to be monitored and cared for over the summer months. ________________________________________________________________________________

V. VIOLA GROWING PROJECT: Plants of the viola family, including pansies and violets, are available in numerous, strikinglycolored varieties. As a relatively quickly growing plant (60-70 days from seed to flowering), if started under grow lights indoors, violas can be transplanted out into raised beds in spring to continue growing and flowering.

V. Viola Growing Project (contd.): When harvested and pressed, violas blooms make excellent dried flowers, which can be incorporated into art work, including greeting cards. In this project, students start, from seed, plants from the viola family under grow lights for 8-12 weeks inside, which would be transplanted into a garden area in early spring. At ~ 12 weeks, when the plants are flowering, blossoms will harvested by students, pressed for drying, and then used in making cards (for parents, grandparents, etc.). After harvesting, the plants should continue to blossom, at least through the end of the school year. Raised beds, with deer exclosure frames, should be utilized. Also, grow lights, growing medium, and trays would need to be purchased to start violas indoors. This project has other components that can be added, including using additional plants grown by the students for: 1. Potting in a clay pot, crafted in art class, to be taken home. 2. Planting in a visible area by the school entrance with consideration given to planting in 3 beds that would represent the acronym for Evergreen Elementary School (EES). 3. An annual potted viola sale that could be held at Evergreen for sale to the larger school community. 4. Creating additional pressed flower cards offered for sale to the larger school community. The latter two, additional components could serve as fund raisers to support ongoing gardening and environmental education programming at Evergreen. If it would not interfere with Evergreen student use of their recess area outside of the back entrance to the school, where students disembark from their buses, this could provide a suitable area for this project. A source of water would have to be available or would need to be installed. Other areas on campus, in proximity to the school building, could be utilized and can be looked at. Pros: 1. By starting violas indoors and transplanting starts outside in the spring, students are given hands-on experience in raising an annual flowering plant, from seed to blooming flower, while the academic year is still in session. 2. Students learn an additional facet of growing plants: starting indoors under grow lights and then transplanting outdoors. 3. Project has additional components that can build on the basic flower growing/harvesting and card-making component. 4. Beds planted in flowers, outside the school, would enhance the school grounds aesthetically.

10

V. Viola Growing Project (contd.): 5. Once initial investment in grow lights and other supplies is made, this provides a relatively simple project to run, with low overhead to maintain. 6. Students have exposure to the concept of creating a saleable good, from a product they grew and created, to support a project. ________________________________________________________________________________ VI. HUMMING BIRD AND BUTTERFLY PERENNIAL FLOWER BEDS: Perennial plantings on the Evergreen campus will most likely provide primary benefit during the fall semester, considering that many if not most perennials will either not be blooming or will just be getting started by the time school lets out in the spring. Late-flowering perennial plants can be incorporated into beds to help ensure there will be flowering plants in the fall. Plants to consider for incorporation into perennial beds include: bee balm, purple coneflower, and black-eyed Susan. There are different potential locations on campus, in close proximity to the school, which can be considered. Dependent on the workability of the soil at different locations, raised beds might be worthwhile to construct, along with deer exclosure frames. Pros: 1. Initially, perennial beds need care to assist plants in getting established and in keeping weeds in check. Overtime, beds will continue to require some care to manage species composition and to continue keep weeds under control. However, perennial beds that are well established and allowed to grow thickly will help keep weeds in check and reduce the need for watering, thus reducing overall time needed to maintain them. 2. Provides opportunities to learn many ecological concepts, including life cycles of perennial plants and insects and the interrelationships between them. Cons: 1. In the fall, wasps, hornets and yellow jackets, members of the Vespidae family of insects, may visit flowering perennial plants as they forage for food, which raised the possibility of a student getting stung. _______________________________________________________________________________

11

VII. WETLAND HABITAT: Wetlands (See Illustration 7) are found on the lower, easternmost portion of the property, particularly on the south side of the entrance road. At this point, it is unclear what these habitats offer from an environmental education perspective for Evergreen. Accessing these wetlands could present challenges, as the surface, outside of the actual wet areas, is characterized by an uneven, moist, grassy terrain, which could make walking difficult for students while potentially providing habitat for deer ticks. However, these wetlands could support amphibians (particularly frogs), birds, other fauna associated with theses habitats, as well as associated wetland plants. Visiting these wetlands in the spring season will be helpful in determining the fauna associated with them and if developing a walking path and possibly an observation platform could be worthwhile undertakings.

12

Illustration 1: Pond Suggested location for placement of platform to allow easy, safe access for students to conduct pond ecology studies.

Stand of emergent, aquatic vegetation

Illustration 2: Woodland Parcel Adjacent to Pond

13

Illustration 3: Wooden Board as Artificial Cover Object Creating Microhabitat on Forest Floor

Cover board in place on forest floor for ~ 1 year, flipped over for demonstration purposes, illustrates decomposition process and the concept of a microhabitat within larger forest habitat. Clockwise, left to right, slug eggs deposited under board, red-backed salamander, and hickory nuts cached by deer mice. 14

Illustration 4: Woodland Parcel along the Northern Property Boundary

Illustration 5: Woodland Parcel Located in the Southwestern Corner of the School Property that Receives Treated Wastewater

15

Illustration 6: Side of School Building with Southern Exposure, Along Which Raised Beds Could Potentially be Planted

Illustration 7: Wetland Habitats on the Lower End of Campus, Adjacent to Entrance Road

16

Appendix A: Eastern Bluebird Box Installation and Nest Monitoring The eastern bluebird is a charismatic songbird that nests in natural or human-made cavities. Its preferred habitat is open areas, typified by the Evergreen campus. The Eastern bluebird is a species that benefits from human-caused changes to the landscape, primarily the creation of maintained lawn turf and fields. Although care must be taken to avoid disturbing nesting pairs, which can result in nest abandonment, eastern bluebirds generally tolerate a certain level of human presence near to their nest boxes and on their nesting territories. The same applies to other native species of songbird that will use nest in boxes designed for bluebirds, including the tree swallow and black-capped chickadee. Bluebirds may begin nesting as early as the end of April, or more likely the beginning of May. Depending on when incubation commences and when the Evergreen school year closes (determined by the number of snow days accumulated), students making periodic visits to occupied nest boxes would be able observe most or all of the nesting cycle, from nest construction to young bluebirds fledgling. Observations conducted at nest boxes are of two types: visits to actually open the boxes to observe the stages of the nesting cycle, as well as visits to observe, from nearby, the activity of adults going to and from the nest box. Its important that these visits are well structured in terms of when they take place in the context of the species nesting cycle, how long they last and how frequently they are conducted. Tree swallows generally outcompete bluebirds to nest in human-provided nest boxes. To address this, OCEES generally erects bluebird boxes in pairs, ~ 15 ft apart. With this arrangement, tree swallows will often occupy one box while tolerating a pair of bluebirds in the second box. This increases the chance of bluebirds occupying a nest box, while also providing students the opportunity to compare and contrast two different avian species that display many differences, including how nests are constructed, egg color, foraging behavior, morphological differences, etc. Students can collect data on the observations they make, while they learn the nesting cycle and characteristics of the feeding behavior of the different species occupying boxes. A pair of installed bluebird nest boxes. Metal lengths of duct work, hanging under boxes, serve as predator guards.

Selection criteria for placement of bluebird boxes includes, but is not limited to: Placing boxes away from brushy areas, in order to avoid attracting house wrens, which will often outcompete and may destroy eggs of other species that use nest boxes (However, placement of a box along a woodland edge may attract house wrens and other species (e.g.

17

the black-capped chickadee and the tufted titmouse), which would provide students the opportunity to observe, compare and contrast additional avian species. Placement of boxes in select areas of campus to minimize the level of human disturbance. Avoiding having boxes face out over open water, parking lots, roadways, etc. Avoiding having the nest box opening receive full, direct, solar insolation. Placement of pairs of boxes a minimum of ~ 100 yds. apart to provide for adequate territorial space for bluebirds and other nesting species that may utilize the boxes. Placement of boxes to allow fledglings to have a safe area to make their first flights to and, when possible, suitable perching areas. Placement of boxes within a reasonable walking distance from the school building. A relatively flat area immediately adjacent to each box to allow for safe placement of a lightweight step ladder for students to observe nesting activity within boxes (boxes are placed a minimum of 4 ft up from the ground). Although not generally needed, one possibility, if required, would be some minor, small-scale landscaping or the establishment of small wooden platforms to create a safe, level spot to erect a stepladder on for each nest box.

18

Appendix B: Deer Tick Bite Prevention A bite from a deer tick can result in the transmission of Lyme disease or other tick-related illnesses to humans. The following measures are recommended to reduce the risk of tick bites on school grounds: 1. Clothing: Students adopt a Tick Prevention Dress Code: wearing light-colored pants and socks with pant legs tucked into socks, as well as footwear that encases the foot (sneakers or boots). 2. Behavior in the field: Avoiding habitats conducive to supporting ticks and avoiding, as much as possible, students sitting or kneeling on the ground. 3. Parent Letter: Outlining clothing and footwear child should wear to school and measures to be taken after student arrives home, at the end of the school day. 4. Tick Checks: Conducted after outdoor activities, using a tick check Buddy System. Can also be conducted at intervals during walks and after walks (i.e. students checking themselves in restroom with a mirror). 5. Permethrin-treated Leg Gaiters: Child-sized leg gaiters are available from Outdoor Research and are a consideration when funding is available to purchase a sufficient number of pairs to outfit a class-size group of students. Note: Permethrin is a type of insecticide, which kills ticks on contact and can be incorporated into fabrics. The times during the school year that are of greatest concern, regarding the potential for a student to receive a tick bite, are: 1. The beginning of May through the end of the spring semester, as the activity of ticks in the nymphal stage increases. Note that bites from deer tick nymphs account for the majority of cases of Lyme disease, which is due primarily to the very small size of nymphs and people not detecting them when they become attached. 2. October through the beginning of November (when there is a spike in adult tick activity) and on through the winter season (as long as snow cover is absent and/or the ground is not frozen). Conversely, conducting outdoor activities in early to mid-April through the beginning of May, and September through the early part of October will minimize the potential for a tick bite. During or after an outdoor activity, any unattached tick that is discovered can be discarded of (e.g. flushed down a sink drain or toilet). However, attached ticks should be removed properly by the school nurse and, once removed, the adult or nymph should be saved in the event it is needed later for positive identification or lab testing. Note that: Attached adult ticks removed within 48 hrs. and attached nymphs removed within 36 hrs. present little risk of transmitting Lyme disease Not all ticks carry the disease (25% of nymphs and 50% of adult females) Most people bitten by a deer tick do not go on to develop Lyme disease

19

Appendix C: The Benefits of Raised Beds in Schoolyard Gardening 1. Growing areas, vs. people traffic areas are well defined, which prevents compaction of soils around plant roots, among other benefits. 2. Type and quality of soil to fill beds can be chosen vs. having to work with whatever soil, however poor the quality, is present on-site. 3. Garden management is simplified, including seasonal changes in plantings, crop rotations, areas of garden assigned to specific classes, areas that require weeding, etc. 4. Raised off the ground, garden working surfaces are easier to access/reach. 5. Areas outside of raised beds can be maintained as grass turf, reducing soil tracked into school and the degree to which students get dirty working in garden. 6. Drainage can be greatly enhanced, particularly when on-site soils drain poorly.

Newly installed raised beds of the Stourbridge Primary Center

Planted and mulched raised beds with deer exclosure frames in place.

Note in-situ, poorly-drained soil showing water puddling on surface between raised beds. Compare to raised bed with relatively rock-free, uncompacted, compostamended soil, which allows for rainfall to infiltrate and drain out the bottom of the bed.

20