Members of Mountain School Green Team with club sponsor Michele Altherr, third from right. Courtesy photoLAPS News:
Mountain School’s Green Team certified their campus as a Schoolyard Habitat with the National Wildlife Federation.
Certified schools provide the four elements of a habitat: food, water, cover and places to raise young. Elements of a habitat can be natural features such as trees, flowers, rocks, logs and seasonal wet areas, as well as artificial features such as bird feeders, saucers of water and nesting boxes.
The Green Team went to work on certification last spring. First, an educator from Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) came and helped the Team learn about the elements of a habitat. Second, they went outside and conducted a campus habitat inventory. Third, the team members made posters and went into the classroom to teach and encourage fellow students to think about the habitat needs of wildlife when gardening. Finally, the team applied for certification.
Mountain School’s staff, parents and students have been working for several years to develop its outdoor classroom. The school’s gardens and raised beds have been made possible by grants from Keep New Mexico Beautiful, Lowes, the PTA and the LAPS Foundation.
