Our fifth graders have been working all year on their final project for Nature Studies. They have adopted a small parcel of woods adjacent to the school and have spent months removing invasive plant species, combating erosion, and planning a spring planting. Last week, our students were finally ready to get the plants for their project.

The 5th grade piled into the buses, and we were on our way to Herring Run Nursery in Baltimore. Herring Run specializes in native plants, species that have adapted to our specific area over a loooooooong time. This makes them more resilient, and better sources of food and habitat for local insects and animals.

We couldn’t have picked a better spot! The staff at Herring Run showed us examples of rain gardens, meadow gardens, and pollinator gardens. They talked to us about watersheds and microclimates, and most importantly, they helped us select the best plants for our project.

Please check back often for updates, as the next few weeks will be a flurry of activity as we work to plant all of these amazing native plants.