The Carmichaels Area Native Plant Greenhouse project provides excellent learning opportunities for Carmichaels’ students and benefits the community through a variety of partnerships. The main intent of the project is growing and planting trees and pollinator plants to restore and improve habitat. Growing from that idea, the school has partnered with other businesses and groups in the community to create pollinator habitats, garden plants, and more throughout the surrounding area.
Around the school, pollinator habitats were added, with habitats now located behind the high school gym, outside the cafeteria courtyard, and outside the high school office. All the habitats are planted with pollinator plants grown from seen in the greenhouse. They plan to plant additional pollinator plants in more habitat locations during the fall, as well as planting a new batch in the greenhouse in preparation for spring planting.
Teacher Megan Patton and her sixth-grade team of students organized the Seedlings for Students project through the Pennsylvania Game Commission. After receiving two thousand trees, the sixth-grade students and kindergarten students worked together to plant trees along the school’s nature trail. Each preschool kindergarten and graduating senior received trees to plant in their backyards, also. Mrs. Patton also worked with Jose Taracido, who also supplied seeds for the pollinator habitats, to plant pollinator pots in the greenhouse.
Other projects included a partnership with the food bank by providing garden plants planted by students, tree planting with the Izaak Walton League at the Game Lands, working with the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources to plant trees at Rebecca Trigger’s property through the Greene County Conservation Districts GRACE Program, completing FarmBot, and planting trees and pollinator habits in various locations in Pennsylvania, including Wana B Park and Ryerson Station State Park.
Those involved would like to offer a special thank you to those utilizing the greenhouse for various projects and partnerships. “We are certainly indebted to the Community Foundation EITC grant committee and Bettie Stammerjohn, along with Toyota Tapestry grant, among other funding sources,” Willis adds.
They would also like to acknowledge the support and dedication provided by David Franks, Carl Sanner, John Krysack, Dave Demniak, Gary Syrek, Bob Kowalewski, and all of the maintenance team, along with Lew May and Frank Lukacs, who originally constructed the greenhouse, and greenhouse manager Emily Capule. They all have played a vital role in the construction, renovation, upkeep and maintenance of this unique project. Fred Clark Nursery supported the project by supplying soil, plants, and expertise for the multiple projects.
The school is looking for additional partnerships that benefit both the community and students. If you are interested in partnering with them, please reach out to Kevin Willis at Carmichaels Area High School.
