Monday Potatoes
Early results have revealed an extraordinary potato harvest. Potatoes like rich loose soils, kept moist but well drained. I think that our great crew of Waters waterers are responsible for keeping our beds consistently moist through a brutal drought. Thanks! On Monday, October 18, 2021, ther first of our first grade classes will harvest garden potatoes. The potatoes will cure, be cleaned and prepped for Harvest Day baking on Oct 29. The first grade classes will divide into two groups, for two activities: potato harvest, and leaf collection. First grade ecology involves the study of the trees of Waters School, starting with our beloved and ancient oaks. If you would like to assist, Room 211 at 1:30 until 2:10. Room 210 and 208 will be scheduled soon. Learn about spuds and trees! (More about Harvest day later)
Tuesday, October 19, 2nd Grade Room 202 will hike to the Riverbank Neighbors Natural Area (at Berteau and the River) to learn about the geography of our neighborhood (map reading), riverbank trees and plants, animals and weather. We leave shortly after drop off, 8:30, and return by 10:30. All are welcome to join us.
Wednesday, October 20, 4th Grade Room 207 will visit Sauganash as Mighty Acorns to explore, learn about the communities of plants that live there, and gather precious, rare, seed. We leave at 9:30, enjoy a picnic lunch on site, and return by 1:15. Join us for a briefing at 9:15 by the fish tank.
Thursday, October 21, 4th Grade Room 315 repeats the above adventure, and I invite all to join us, same times same place.
On Friday, October 22, 7th Grade Room 302, will be introduced to the ecology of Lake Michigan and the Dune ecosystem at Montrose Point. Hosted by Friends of the Parks and the Corinthian Yacht Club, these trips are a breathtaking introduction to the re-birth of a dune ecosystem living on the edge of one of the world’s biggest and most beautiful Lakes. We leave at 9:30 and return by 1:15. Join us 15 minutes early for a briefing. Bring lunch.
On Saturday, October 23, we will gather in the garden for our series of Saturday stewardship days, 10:00 until 12:00. Last week we finished installing a section of split rail fencing to try to protect the badly damaged new plantings on the slope of the north swale (more about this later), we continued the restoration of the Journeys and Refuge Garden, we started the process of winding down the agricultural garden beds, AND we ended with a beautiful campfire, on a beautiful Fall day, sharing food, music and stories. One of our garden volunteers, Norbert, was stung a week or so earlier by yellow jackets while weeding a section of the path leading to the fire circle. I inspected the area searching for a ground nest, but failed to find one. Oh, but there are better investigators than I! Saturday we saw the aftermath of a skunk discovery of the wasp nest. A deep hole was dug under a timber, and the remnants of the honeycomb-type nest littered the ground. This is the second time a skunk has come to our aid in this way. All hail the Skunk, our friend. Join us next Saturday.
You must be a CPS Approved Volunteer to attend field trips.
CPS volunteer application.
https://cpsparentu.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=319488&type=Gratitude to Beth and all the other volunteers who helped me prep hundreds of ecology journals for our students ALL DONE! WELL DONE!
Mr. Leki