On Friday, October 29th five 8th grade classes from McDougle Middle School met outdoors. Instead of inside learning, they learned outdoors with North Carolina State experts and Friends of Bolin Creek volunteers. Each class rotated through three learning stations.
At the first station Erin Martin, Friends of Bolin Creek educator, taught students how impervious surfaces cause rain water to take pollutants into creeks. Students learned concepts by designing their own model houses on a piece of turf and measuring the amount of water draining from the site when smaller areas are covered by impervious surfaces.
In the second station, students learned from NC State expert Mitch Woodward how cisterns can help capture rain water on site. Students calculated how much rainwater could be collected off the school gym roof and how much would be captured by the cistern. Students prepared the site and the last class completed the installation. The cistern water will be used to water the rain garden and other plantings at the school.
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Mitch Woodward asks students to calculate how much rainwater could be collected from the gym roof for one year.
- At the third site, students learned from NC State expert Zan Price how rain gardens can retain rain water on site and filter pollutants to keep them out of nearby streams. Students prepared the bed in the early classes. At the last class of the day Randee Haven O’Donnell helps students plant native species.
Alderman Randee Haven O'Donnell helps students plant native species in the Demonstation Rain Garden.
At the end of the day Principal Debra Scott help an owl Paper Hand Puppet make the final plantings. Then all participants celebrated.
Read more about rain gardens or maybe even build one.
What a wonderful project! We would love to partner with your work force.
We have a group of dedicated volunteers who are all working on the Bolin Creek Conservation Plan but no paid staff.
Contact me at friendsbolincreek@gmail.com to discuss how we might collaborate.