Eureka High School’s campus just got a little more beautiful with the addition of a native plant garden.
For the past two years, Mandy Kotraba’s environmental science classes have worked to design, prepare and plant in a previously under-utilized green space at the high school.
This summer Kotraba and a few students planted more than 300 seedlings native to the state, provided by Pure Air Natives in St. Louis.
Kotraba said the project is a test of patience for the students. The fledgling plants are perennial, and the students won’t likely see the plants fully flourish for another year or so.
“Two years ago, for their final exam, I asked my environmental science students to design a space at Eureka High School that was sustainable and focused on the pillar of biodiversity,” she said. “I had picked that spot up at the school because it was a rough place for the maintenance guys to get back there with the lawnmower. Not only is it an economic benefit to the district, meaning less mowing, less watering and less weeding, but also that it would provide that biodiversity aspect of sustainability.
“Everything has to go hand in hand.”
Kylee Pickens, a freshman at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, was a junior at Eureka High when her design plans for a native plant garden were chosen by her class to fill the green space. Kotraba said while everyone’s projects were creative, including one student’s mini golf course idea, Pickens’ plan was approachable and fulfilled her guidelines.
When planning, the students were given a budget of $1,000, courtesy of the Eureka High PTO.
More than two years after her project was selected, Pickens said it was neat to see what was once on paper come to life.
“At first, the space was nothing,” she said. “(Kotraba) took us outside and she had us look around and measure it out. I thought it was such a cool project because it was so hands-on. It was really us doing it, and I took the project really seriously.”
Kotraba said the students needed to conduct thorough research on their projects to ensure their feasibility, and they needed to stay within the budget.
“They were given a budget, the Eureka High School PTO gave us a very generous grant, which was very cool, and it gave us an idea of what the student’s budget should be,” Kotraba said. “I told (the students), someday, they’re going to have a yard, and they’re going to want to think about how they are going to plant to conserve water because they don’t want high water bills.”
Once the idea of a native plant garden was selected, students had to pick an organism that they had to protect or preserve, she said. For instance, a student who wanted to protect the endangered Monarch butterfly suggested the class plant milkweed in the garden. The plant is a major source of food for the butterflies.
“We talked about the importance of native plants, especially, as we remove more native areas for subdivisions, planting natives is important because they are specifically adapted for the environment,” Kotraba said.
Community contributions
Establishing the garden on the campus was a community effort, Kotraba said. Last spring, during a school wellness day, Kotraba and 10 students began putting down mulch in the garden, provided by the district’s facilities department.
Students in the high school’s gardening club and National Honor Society have volunteered to maintain the garden during the school year for service hours.
“What is funny is that you know, I always think, what type of student wants to do this sort of manual labor? But every single time the students leave they’re like, ‘Wow, that was way more relaxing than I thought it would be,’” Kotraba said.
Students in a graphic design class are creating signs and posters that will be placed around the garden. She said the signs will explain the environmental benefits of the garden during the winter months when there are no flowering plants.
Eureka High alumni also are getting involved in the project. Members of the class of 1974 – the first class to graduate from the current high school – donated six benches to line the garden in September.
Class of 1974 co-chairman Mike Kircher said his science classes used a nature trail on the high school campus, and while the trail is gone now, the new garden is a callback to his experience at the school.
Principal Corey Sink said the benches are not only a “beautiful addition to our campus but also represent a lasting connection” between the alumni and current and future Eureka High students.
“These benches will create a welcoming space for students to gather, reflect and engage in outdoor learning experiences that align with our focus on sustainability,” Sink said.
Pickens said in addition to helping the local ecosystem, the garden may become a student hangout spot when the weather is nice.
“Usually, I’m not that engaged in class, but with an opportunity like that, I really took it and ran with it because I knew I could directly impact the environment and make a better environment for animals, give students a place to study outside,” she said. “I thought it was such a great idea.”
Classroom benefits
Maintaining the garden fits well into the environmental science class lesson plans, Kotraba said. In the first semester of the class, students learn about agronomy and the importance of good soil. They also learn about the ecosystem and how all animals and plants influence the environment.
“Before we even planted, we went out and tested the soil so students could get real hands-on agronomy lessons,” she said.
Outside of the environmental science classroom, Kotraba said she’s heard positive feedback on the garden from other teachers.
“I had a teacher whose room looks out over the garden thank me the other day,” she said. “He said, ‘I have to look out that window every day, and it’s really nice.’”
Pickens, who plays lacrosse and studies elementary education, said she plans to one day become a physical education teacher.
“I’m thankful for all the opportunities Eureka gave and it was such a nurturing environment,” she said. “Projects like (the garden) are what makes kids want to actively learn in classrooms.”