LA HESPERIA
Biological Station & Cloudforest Reserve
Biological Station & Cloudforest Reserve
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SIXTO MARIA DURÁN PUBLIC SCHOOL
LA HESPERIA BIOLOGICAL STATION & RESERVE
EARTH RESTORATION SERVICE
School Tree Nursery News
This month, May 2007, La Hesperia has begun the School Tree Nursery
Project with the financial assistance from ERS. In this program we work
with the school of the community in order to educate the children about
the importance of the forest and reforestation. The program focuses on
the importance of trees, touching on key concepts such as: erosion,
water production, the capture of carbon dioxide, and the interaction
between plants and animals. In order for the children to better
understand these concepts we have designed a number of interactive
activities.
The program began with a field trip to the cloud forest. During this time
the children were able to get a hands-on experience. They participated
in a number of different outdoor activities that demonstrated the
concepts we are trying to convey. In one activity the children placed
newspaper on the ground and several of them laid on top acting as the
roots of the trees. While the other children attempted to pull the paper
out from under them. This was used to show the way in which the trees
prevent erosion from occurring. The activity was done a second time,
with less children acting as roots, to show that more erosion will occur if
the root systems are not in the ground. The goal of this activity and
others like it is to convey these concepts to the children in a fun and
interactive way.
The next step in the program is to bring these concepts to the school
and allow the children to use them there. We have made plans for a tree
nursery and vegetable garden to be created at the school for the
children to maintain and take care of. Having the nursery and garden at
the school will help the children to apply the concepts they are learning
to something that is their own. This week the process began with
clearing the area of the debris and garbage that covers much of the
ground around the school. Volunteers went down to aide and encourage
the children in the process of cleaning.
The next day we returned to the school to continue the educational
activities with the children. We gave them the opportunity to paint, color,
and make collages with themes that directly connected the importance of
the forest to their art work. We will continue to work with the children on a
bi-weekly basis in order to keep their environmental education going.
LA HESPERIA BIOLOGICAL STATION & RESERVE
EARTH RESTORATION SERVICE
School Tree Nursery News
This month, May 2007, La Hesperia has begun the School Tree Nursery
Project with the financial assistance from ERS. In this program we work
with the school of the community in order to educate the children about
the importance of the forest and reforestation. The program focuses on
the importance of trees, touching on key concepts such as: erosion,
water production, the capture of carbon dioxide, and the interaction
between plants and animals. In order for the children to better
understand these concepts we have designed a number of interactive
activities.
The program began with a field trip to the cloud forest. During this time
the children were able to get a hands-on experience. They participated
in a number of different outdoor activities that demonstrated the
concepts we are trying to convey. In one activity the children placed
newspaper on the ground and several of them laid on top acting as the
roots of the trees. While the other children attempted to pull the paper
out from under them. This was used to show the way in which the trees
prevent erosion from occurring. The activity was done a second time,
with less children acting as roots, to show that more erosion will occur if
the root systems are not in the ground. The goal of this activity and
others like it is to convey these concepts to the children in a fun and
interactive way.
The next step in the program is to bring these concepts to the school
and allow the children to use them there. We have made plans for a tree
nursery and vegetable garden to be created at the school for the
children to maintain and take care of. Having the nursery and garden at
the school will help the children to apply the concepts they are learning
to something that is their own. This week the process began with
clearing the area of the debris and garbage that covers much of the
ground around the school. Volunteers went down to aide and encourage
the children in the process of cleaning.
The next day we returned to the school to continue the educational
activities with the children. We gave them the opportunity to paint, color,
and make collages with themes that directly connected the importance of
the forest to their art work. We will continue to work with the children on a
bi-weekly basis in order to keep their environmental education going.
