From Deseret News archives:
High school habitats
Students are turning small plots of land into mini-nature preserves
As they planted the last of the flowers, one young woman was in a bit of a panic because she'd forgotten to dilute the plant vitamins before she put them in the soil. She thought her mistake might end up killing the seedlings. Another student calmly advised her to add more water, lots of water, saying maybe that would wash the concentrate away from the roots.
It was just another lesson learned at Central High, in Granite District, where Miller's environmental geography class had spent two terms on this habitat project. Their piece of earth is about 5 feet wide by 100 yards long. It borders the school parking lot on one side and, on the other side, borders a stretch of chain link fences and neighbors' back yards.
The students' goal: to plant several different swaths of grasses, bushes and flowers to make a place for butterflies, hummingbirds and the threatened North American robin. Their secondary goal: to have their habitat accepted by the National Wildlife Federation as an official Schoolyard Habitat.
Or maybe this habitat project actually began before that. Maybe it began with these students when they were children naturally attracted to the natural world.
When you drive up to Pine View High School, on the outskirts of St. George, you find a parking lot surrounded by a bright green lawn. Walking to the front door, you smell a faint odor of weed killer.
You are guessing this is probably not the schoolyard habitat. Sure enough, when someone in the office assigns a student to show you the habitat, the student leads you to the school's back door. There, out behind the greenhouse, is a fenced-in quarter acre containing lots of desert plants, happily blooming in lots of sand.
Here is the cool thing about your student tour guide, one Joshua Barney, age 17: Barney carries a live lizard on his shoulder. The lizard is small and is on a tiny leash. (Most teachers don't mind him bringing his pet to school, Barney says. Those who do ask him to put the pet away. Barney puts the lizard down his T-shirt, and everyone is happy.)
Comments
- Chelsea Clinton is engaged 10:31 a.m.
- Suspect in police deaths still at large 10:28 a.m.
- Gov't pressures mortgage industry 10:25 a.m.
- Sands China stock tumbles in debut 9:21 a.m.
- Vegas pinning hopes on CityCenter 9:20 a.m.
- Saab CEO courting buyers in Detroit 9:19 a.m.
- Court won't disturb $82M award 9:18 a.m.
- Rumor: Papers paid to shun Google 9:17 a.m.
- Salvation Army kettle stolen 9:05 a.m.
- Charges filed in ATM theft 9:05 a.m.
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
- Y. student vanished in China
- Max Hall issues apology
- Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
- BYU is champion of the state
- Boy shot following traffic stop
- Cougars beat Utes in overtime
- Cougs begin bowl preparations
- Marriage definitions vary widely
- Utes won't respond to Hall
- Hall mouths off about hate of Utah
877 - Cougars beat Utes in overtime
477 - Max Hall issues apology
270 - Hall's pain reflects self-betrayal
144 - BYU is champion of the state
138 - Man trapped in Nutty Putty cave dies
119 - Cave to be sealed with body inside
116 - Rivalry Week is highly profane
90 - Hall's legacy measured today
80 - Utes fall to Seattle U. at home
65
That's what's wrong with this country. I'm sorry the woman got hurt but...
With regard to this comment/sentiment: "Last time I checked, Max Hall wasn't...
I love this movie! This movie is the Citizen Kane of ninja movies!!
Hall speaks to being from BYU like Palin speaks about being a conservative....
I find it very interesting to compare this article and the comments on it...
I find it very interesting to compare this article and the comments on it...
you are grasping, can't you just live and let live. Or do we all need to...
Wherever they go, they should go with Max on the side line. After his tirade...
Like most “Bubble Boys in Blue”, you think only bad fans and...
I lived and taught university in Korea for 8 years. During that time I...



You can be the first to comment on this story.