Project Description: Sparta students planted about 3,500 native plants on both sides
of a ditch located between the parking lot and back field of a ball
diamond at Sparta Middle School. The ditch is about 140 yards long and
eight yards wide. Storm water exits from the ditch to Rogue River.
Students investigated the effect native plants have on water quality
and habitat restoration in a storm water ditch. Through persuasion
letters and short presentations to local governments and other
classrooms, students persuaded others to help restore habitat and
their watershed by planting native plants.
Fostering Lifelong Stewardship: Students experienced identifying a problem in their community and
were empowered to solve it.
Partners: Peace Lutheran Church, Designs by Nature, Sparta Village Water Dept
Project Description: This year's project added to the restoration of the banks of Nash
Creek. The goal of the project was to plant native plants to protect
the banks from erosion, improve water quality, provide habitat, and
educate the community on the beauty and functionality of native
plants. Community groups partnered with our classes to prepare the
banks, clear the site, plant native wildflowers, grasses, trees, and
shrubs, and maintain them. The area is located between Sparta Library
and a village park, connected by pedestrian bridge. Sixth and seventh
grade students performed water quality monitoring. A high school
biology class put native plant identification on the village website.
During Town and Country Days, 2017, students had a booth explaining
the project.
Fostering Lifelong Stewardship: Prior to this project, the Sparta community was largely
uninformed about Nash Creek and its role in the local watershed. Now,
students proudly tour the project with their families. Every single
child or teen has tiptoed around seedlings while they fish or explore.
Community members approach teachers and ask where they can get native
plants for themselves. This year the bank restoration extended off
school property. Vandalism and trash have dropped off significantly
since the planting project began in 2008.
Partners: Sparta Rotary, Sparta Boy Scouts, Sparta Girl Scouts, Kent
Conservation District, Summit Tree Service, Afton Excavating, Sparta
Village DPW, Mike Bruggink (landscape architect), Trout Unlimited,
Designs by Nature, Rogers Hardware, Various community members
Teachers: 3
Students: 420
Funder: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality
Project Description: Students and teachers continued the Nash Creek Streambank
Restoration Project with Phase 2 by planting more native plants on the
banks of Nash Creek on both sides of the pedestrian bridge. (This site
was cleared for planting during Phase 1.) Phase 2 happened on October
7, 14, and 21, when third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders planted an
additional 2,000 plants to solve the problem of stormwater runoff
entering Nash Creek. Students also designed a sign in partnership with
Trout Unlimited to inform the community about roots of native plants,
information about some species planted, and donors who are made the
project possible. The sign was placed near the bridge.
Fostering Lifelong Stewardship: Students used scientific facts and processes to solve problems.
They become personally connected to and responsible for Nash Creek,
which flows in the middle of their community. They are able to explain
how native plants restore their watershed.
Partners: Trout Unlimited, Sparta Education Foundation, Designs by Nature
Teachers: 4
Students: 525
Funder: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through the Michigan
Department of Environmental Quality
Project Description: Third through fifth-grade students learned about an invasive
species, reed canary grass, which was planted as a substitute for hay
by settlers, and its negative effect on our watershed, specifically at
Nash Creek. An herbicide was sprayed professionally to eradicate reed
canary grass, and students replaced it with native plants. Afterwards,
students had a classroom lesson demonstrating how native plants absorb
pollution from stormwater and layers of sand clean the groundwater,
and native plants. Sixth-grade students researched and designed
bioswales located in the parking lot attached to Nash Creek to capture
stormwater from non-point source pollution, as a real-world
application in their own community of Sparta. Students pulled and
removed another invasive species, garlic mustard, which was growing
farther north on the same bank of Nash Creek. Then they spread an
organic material of leaves, twigs, and branches to keep native plant
roots moist and enrich the soil in that area.
Fostering Lifelong Stewardship: Students now feel empowered to protect the watershed in which
they and other plant and animal species live. They feel attached to a
place of nature in their own community at a location they can easily
access. Students are now able to observe stormwater and where it
flows. They can identify invasive reed canary grass and garlic mustard
as hazards to the environment. Students can explain to others how they
increased habitat and clean water with beautiful native plants, as an
example for them to do the same.
