On The Farm: School's pollinator habitat program sows a lot of hope

On Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 12, a group of 20 students, parents, staff and volunteers gathered on the Wrenshall school grounds to complete the installation of dozens of native flowering plants and trees that will beautify the landscape, attract pollinators, and show learners the food web of plants, trees, insects, and birds. The three-hour event included an overview of the project, a presentation on phenology, work details, and a community meal.

A 300-square-foot plot on the south side of the school building and two 150-square-foot plots on the west side had been left bare after recent construction. A year-and-a-half ago, school board member Misty Bergman suggested using designated funds for beautification. Partners in Education chair Heather Brown and her board followed up with fundraisers. PIE member Karola Dalen led in obtaining grant monies amounting to $10,000. PIE members Jodie Christianson and Ashley Laveau organized groups of volunteers who worked since snow melt this year to prepare the ground for planting. Plants and trees were purchased from Northern Ecological Services in Esko.

Master naturalist Betsy Dugan said first-grade teacher Natalie Cass has developed a nature learning curriculum that might benefit from what lies right outside the classroom. In the upper grades, students could record daily temperatures in spring, calculate the number of "heating degree days," and use the data to predict when lilac blossoms will appear and attract pollinators. Dugan emphasized that everyone learns from their environment, and having attractive surroundings is important. Furthermore, the local landscape is a learning experience that leads young people to value and nurture the soil and what grows from it.

As the new plants and trees take root and brace for winter, they carry the hopes of many for a garden that shows a school proud of its surroundings. The pollinator habitat is a start on greater plans to upgrade the campus. At the community meal, catered by Room at the Table, PIE members talked about working with the Soil and Water Conservation District to remove the buckthorn that invades the woods along the east side of the athletic fields. Big plans need dedicated workers; the Wrenshall Partners in Education are workers worthy of those ambitions.

Recently, in preparation for the Brickyard Days festival, I reviewed the establishments in the area. I counted institutions, farms, industries, businesses and services, and found over 65. I am confident that most have a tie to the school as alumni, parents, providers, employees and certainly as taxpayers.

Since moving to the area 12 years ago, my wife and I have been ever aware of how much our friends and neighbors cherish "their" school. We have not been here long enough to know all the stories but certainly long enough to have survived several crises and controversies. With a grandson enrolled, we can call it "our" school, and we are encouraged by what is happening. This one project is exemplary of the energy and spirit that pervade the school. The plants that just went in the ground seem tiny and frail, but their potential gives hope for good things ahead.

Sandy Dugan and his wife are stewards of 54 acres in the Wrenshall area. They tend two acres as gardens and pollinator habitat. Most of the land is rented out to grow forage for organic beef. A barn serves for occasional arts events. Contact Sandy at [email protected].