Students from Exploris and DENR Employees to Kick-off Environmental Education Garden on Earth Day
RALEIGH -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Environmental Education Garden will become a reality at a dedication ceremony on Earth Day, April 22, at 10 a.m.
A team of DENR employees, chaired by the Office of Environmental Education, and middle-grade students from Exploris Middle School will be planting butterfly-attracting plants in the new garden outside the Archdale Building. The "educational" garden, focuses on North Carolina native plant species that will attract butterflies and birds to the area. This garden will be used to educate state government employees and visitors to the garden, and educators will be able to teach their students about the relationship between plants and wildlife. Individuals can use activities in the garden to begin working toward Environmental Education Certification and learning about the wonderful environmental education workshops offered by DENR.
The long-range plans for the garden include a logbook held within a waterproof log-box so that visitors to the garden can record their bird and butterfly observations. These observations will be placed on the DENR environmental education garden web site so that the garden and the educational opportunity it affords will have an even broader audience. Classes about the garden and the wildlife it attracts are also being planned.
Nonprofit organizations, businesses and industry have contributed over $18,000 in plants, equipment and funding.
The master plan of the garden will become part of an educational brochure. The web site listing individual observations will be on-line April 22.
This is a groundbreaking, planting, Earth Day event to "kick-start" the Environmental Education Garden. It will be an ongoing interactive environmental education learning experience as additional elements are added to make this a wonderful learning opportunity!
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Please contact Lin Frye in the Office of Environmental Education (919) 733-0711 for more information.
Date Posted: April 22, 1999
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