• Thursday, April 28, 2011 | Filed under Environmental Stewardship , Science

    Students gaze intently at a grub worm (June beetle larva) at David E. Smith Elementary

    Perhaps the students are thinking this as they gaze intently on the object lessons of the day – metamorphosis (change of form) and its two encompassing distinctions of the categories - complete and incomplete insect life cycles. Insects go through different life stages as they grow. Examples of insects that go through complete metamorphosis are butterflies, lady bugs and June bugs; with their complete lifecycle being egg, larva, pupa and adult; the body stages look  different as development ensues.

    Incomplete metamorphosis is egg, nymph and adult as in ...

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  • Wednesday, April 20, 2011 | Filed under School Garden Design

    Are you wondering how to build a learning garden on a slope? 

    No problem - kids love slopes, and there are many good uses for a slope!

    Vegetable beds and dry creek bed on a slope 

    Rosemont 6th Grade in Fort Worth, Texas created a dry creek bed and vegetable beds on their slope.   The dry creek bed provides opportunities to study erosion, how rivers are formed, and the power of water.  It is best to use stones of different sizes that the children can place where they want, and make sure there is a drainage hole at the bottom to collect the running water.  The drainage hole can be as simple as ...

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  • Monday, April 18, 2011 | Filed under

    5th graders at Whitt Elementary in Grand Prairie were asked to solve a problem.  When presented with a bag of Nature’s Guide Premium Turf Food fertilizer, they were asked: How much of this type of fertilizer is needed for one of the raised vegetable beds?  With just a little guidance and access to some basic mathematical tools, students got to work figuring out just how much would be needed for one of the beds.  Without elaborating on too many of the details, students found they had to:

    -Look at the fertilizer bag as an informational text ...

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  • Wednesday, April 13, 2011 | Filed under Volunteering , Environmental Stewardship , School Garden Installation , Community , REAL Supporters

     

     

    National Volunteer Week was established in 1974 by former President Richard Nixon and has grown exponentially in scope each year since, drawing support and endorsement from subsequent U.S. presidents, governors, mayors and other respected elected officials;  link to the Presidential Proclamation of National Volunteer Week 2011.

     

    National Volunteer Week is about taking action and encouraging individuals and their respective communities to be at the center of social change—discovering and actively demonstrating their collective power to foster positive transformation.  It’s about demonstrating to the nation that by working together, in unison, we have the fortitude to meet ...

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  • Monday, April 11, 2011 | Filed under Health and Nutrition , Community , REAL Supporters

     

    We are extremely proud to announce our brand new partnership with Blue Mesa Grill.  Not only does Blue Mesa hand-craft their delectably unique Southwestern cuisine, but their motto of “Handmade, Heartfelt” is demonstrated by their support of fresh, local foods and healthy, sustainable communities – values clearly shared by the RSG family.

    This partnership became official on April 1 when Blue Mesa added REAL School Gardens to their “Tacos for a Cause” program in which one dollar for every gourmet taco sold will benefit us and a few other local charities (this month’s taco for a ...

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  • Saturday, April 09, 2011 | Filed under Environmental Stewardship , Student Behavior , Instructional Aids , Science

         ...demonstrating interdependence in the schoolyard habitat to second grade teachers in Fort Worth ISD!  Can it be true?  Yes!  Are snakes, and grubs (June bug larvae) and creepy crawlies of all sorts invading the classroom?  Sort of!  Are children really expected to go outside and learn from their immediate environment in Fort Worth public schools?  You Betcha!  Are educators REALLY buying into this hooey about GARDENS and SCHOOLYARDS being powerful weapons in the battle to ELIMINATE the ACHIEVEMENT GAP?  You know it!

     













    		 

     

    At our most recent professional development for FWISD, REAL School Gardens trained 51 educators ...

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  • Friday, April 08, 2011 | Filed under Health and Nutrition , Science

    If you see what appears like (how do I say this gracefully?) dog vomit in your school or home garden then you have been invaded by or introduced to Fuligo septica, which is properly named Dog Vomit Slime Mold.  This slime mold used to be in the kingdom Fungi; it is no longer classified a fungus but instead has been assigned to the kingdom Protoctista as the latest taxonomic studies have declared it so (something to do with an acellular mass of naked protoplasm, truly).

     

    Depending on the species this slime mold may be a few millimeters in ...

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  • Wednesday, April 06, 2011 | Filed under Engineering , Environmental Stewardship , School Garden Installation , School Garden Design

    Foster Elementary is now the proud owner of a solar pond!  Foster did not have to install an electrical connection in their garden nor will they ever pay an electricity bill for operating the pond.  Our sun powers the pump that aerates the water and keeps the plants and fish healthy – the pump even works on most cloudy days. 

    solar pond

    The help of many community members is what made this dream of solar pond a reality.  The PTA parents and teachers collected funds for the solar technology.  Water Gardens Galore provided expertise in how best to build the pond. Chesapeake Energy ...

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