JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
Randolph Elementary School students participated in Earth Day and Arbor Day activities April 23-24, but the spirit of those two special days lives throughout the year at their school, where nearly 30 raised garden beds and a small habitat area have transformed the campus in recent years.
The most recent project to benefit the school came courtesy of a $6,500 grant from the National Environmental Education Foundation, one of four grants presented to Joint Base San Antonio locations.
"The purpose of this project at Randolph Elementary was to provide environmental education opportunities to the students, provide habitat for our native pollinators and demonstrate water conservation techniques for JBSA and Central Texas," Bryan Hummel, JBSA natural resources specialist, said.
Hummel, who applied for and obtained a $6,500 grant for each JBSA location, said the most recent grant for Randolph Elementary provided all the materials for installing 10 raised beds on the campus, including soil, mulch and 375 native plants, which will also be used in existing beds. The grant also funded cedar boards to create the 4- by 8-foot raised beds, 12 rain barrels and a variety of books, posters and brochures.
The rain barrels were added "so the kids can learn about rainwater harvesting and the importance of water to all living things," Hummel said.
"The raised beds were built Nov. 6 and the gardens were filled with soil and plants Nov. 13," he said. "There was another planting day on Nov. 20, and numerous plants were left with the science teachers so the kids could plant their own plants and have a more intimate involvement in the butterfly discovery gardens."
Hummel said support for the project came from the 502nd Civil Engineer Squadron; Master Sgt. Ennis Fowler, who brought a crew of JBSA-Randolph firefighters; Randolph Elementary science teachers; and parents of garden club members.
The raised beds are located between both wings on the west side of the campus and on the south side of the kindergarten and first-grade wing, which is on the school's east side. The fenced-in habitat area is located east of the raised beds next to the K-1 wing.
Beth Zipp, a third-grade teacher and the school's garden club sponsor, said the raised beds are home to a variety of plants, from vegetables to perennials such as Eve's necklace, esperanza, rock rose and rosemary.
"The beds are full of perennials," she said. "They attract pollinators like butterflies, hummingbirds and bees."
The habitat area is likewise filled with plants that attract pollinators, Zipp said.
"There will be tons of butterflies when everything starts blooming," she said.
Zipp said the school's garden club, which is open to third-, fourth- and fifth-graders, plays a big role in planting and maintaining the beds along with other students.
"They absolutely love it," she said. "They learn to plant things, watch them grow and harvest the food. They also learn about teamwork and working with others."
Hummel said the raised beds and other earth-friendly projects, including a planned rain garden, benefit the school as well as JBSA.
"These efforts will help enhance the environmental education of our school children for years to come, provide sanctuaries for native pollinators, help sustain the migration of monarch butterflies, and reduce water usage and flooding on JBSA-Randolph," he said.