The mission of Wesselman Woods Nature Society is to create experiences that connect people with nature, motivating people to act on behalf of wild things and wild places.  A lot of those experiences happen either at the Nature Center and Preserve or Howell Wetlands, but our impact is not limited to those to places.  We strive to have a presence throughout the community, to take our mission on the road.  A great example of this is the partnership between Wesselman Woods Nature Center and Harper Elementary School.

Harper Elementary School is only a mile away from the Preserve, and we have a longstanding working relationship with their teachers.  Harper students regularly visit for field trips and invite us into their classrooms for educational outreach. First grade teacher Jane Elgin had expressed interest in adding on-site outdoor nature education options, so WNS staff was on the lookout for opportunities to make this a reality.

Gena Garrett, WNS Education Manager wrote a successful grant proposal to Serve Indiana  that resulted in Wesselman Nature Society and Harper Elementary School receiving a $2500 grant to build gardens at the school to attract wildlife and pollinators.  The project, however, was more than just Harper and WNS.  Donations and volunteer help made the final product bigger and better than we could have imagined.  Plants were donated from the University of Evansville native plant garden and by local Master Gardeners.  Twenty three community volunteers invested over 80 hours to put the gardens in place.   We were able to stretch our grant dollars further through the generosity of our partners at Lowe’s East, who sold us many of our supplies at cost.

What did we create together?   Four raised-bed gardens which will serve as an outdoor classroom extension, allowing students to experience nature and learn about native species in parallel with their established curriculum.   We created a place where children can experience nature every day.  We created a living laboratory where students can discover and explore out of doors.

The next phase of the project will provide educational signage for the gardens as well as a bubble rock fountain to increase the viability of the habitat. As further funding becomes available, the project may be expanded to include additional outdoor elements as indentified by the teachers at Harper. A goal of the project is for the gardens to be as low-maintenance and self-sustaining as possible, limiting the time the grounds crew and teachers need to devote to upkeep and allowing the focus to remain on education, exploration, and play in the habitat area.