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Nature Center - Established 1998 |
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Harvard Elementary is home to a school garden and nature center on an attractive campus that has used its limited space in creative and functional ways. Many old live oaks cover the front of this school. Nearby a covered space serves as a place for classes to meet. Beside it is the school's pond, the vegetable beds are not far beyond, and a walking path winds through the entire space. In the back of the school there is a combined playground and nature center so students have daily interaction with nature. |
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Everywhere are art forms such as tiles and benches made or donated by the students, parents, teachers, and members of the community. Every corner of this campus has at least one educational and enriching purpose.
The nature center brings science to life. Students learn to respect nature and not to litter or harm plants or animals. The parent volunteers helped increase the number of classroom nature center visits by providing weekly hands-on lessons for students in the garden. Currently, three parent volunteers teach thirteen classes in kindergarten, first, and second grades. The parents teach lessons that are correlated with the goals and objectives of each grade level's classroom. The teachers from these classrooms also have activities that allow them to use the outdoor classroom area. In addition, the school's Magnet Program Science Specialist uses the Nature Center quite frequently in her lessons, and even sponsors a student volunteer group to help maintain the two ponds.
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| The nature center is used in multiple ways. The walkways are used for exercise and observation. The parents, volunteers and teachers teach observation of seasonal changes as well as butterfly, insect, and bird activity. Students come out and measure the growth of plants, create art projects and keep nature journals. They also have tools for observing the activity in the pond. |
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A group of teachers kicked off the garden project in 1997 with ideas for a garden at their school that grew into plans for a nature center. A very energetic group of parents got behind the idea with their hard work and fund raising. In the spring of 1998, teachers built 6' by 8' garden beds with landscape timbers. As the teachers involved in the initial project moved away, use of the garden beds decreased. A parent who was president of the PTA came to the rescue and resurrected the project. She led the PTA in a plan to change the physical appearance of Harvard and make it a more attractive school. The PTA began by raising the funds needed to replace the chain link fence with a very attractive new one.
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Harvard parents came up with some very innovative ideas on how to successfully raise funds.
A competition was held between the classrooms in a project called 'Nickels for Nature'. The theme of this fundraiser was
"I helped change Harvard."
Each classroom decorated a jug and each week students brought spare change to fill the jug. The class with the most money in the jug each week received a prize. Sometimes it was popcorn and a movie, extra recess, or a pizza party.
The bank loaned a change counter to tabulate the money raised. |
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At about the same time as this fundraiser, the Heights Association also became involved. A celebration was organized at the Height Association's center, which is a converted fire station. Parents, teachers and community members bought the raw materials needed to make tiles, benches, and steppingstones. Everyone then had an opportunity to come together and create these items. They also sold off trees for planting at the school. The school was able to raise about $4,000 to $5,000 between these fundraisers.
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The next year, with the assistance of the Heights Association, an auction was held. People in the community donated items and each class created something for the auction. These items had a nature-related theme. The auction raised $12,000, which was used to landscape the front of the school and install an irrigation system. Windsor blocks were donated for use in building the new vegetable garden beds.
A landscape architect, Mark McKinnon, who lives in the community, donated the plans for the landscaping of the school, and over the last several years, parents have continued implementing this plan. Mr. McKinnon was also instrumental in finding a Chicago company that wanted to use the school campus as a demonstration site for how to build a pond. |
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The principal was able to contribute to some portions of the nature center with money from the school budget. Parents have donated plants and spent their time coming out to build the gardens and fund-raise. Without the collaboration of both the school's administration and parents, it would not have been possible to make so many changes.
The garden is continuing to grow and evolve over time. Parents are building a system that is sustainable and will continue even after their own children have left the school. Success of this garden and nature center has been possible because of the assistance of the entire community both within the school and in the neighborhood surrounding it.
Urbanharvest.org |
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Harvard Elementary | 810 Harvard | Houston, Texas 77007 | 713.867.5210 |
info@harvardschool.org
It is the policy of the Houston Independent School District not to discriminate on the basis of age, color, handicap or disability,
ancestry, national origin, marital status, race, religion, sex, veteran status, or political affiliation in its educational or employment programs and activities.
Copyright 2005-2008 Harvard Elementary. All rights reserved
Maintained by AO Media
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