May 10, 2022
On Thursday, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources recognized Struthers Elementary School’s pollinator garden as a WILD School Site. The school is the 199th site dedicated in Ohio and the 7th in Mahoning County.
Last year, Struthers Rotary collaborated with Struthers Elementary School as they transformed an area near a retention pond into a pollinator garden. Students worked together to measure plant spacing, dig the holes, plant pollinator-friendly flowers and plants, and water the garden. This year, the addition of milkweed to the garden will encourage diversity in the garden as it is the monarch butterfly’s exclusive source of food. Struthers Elementary students continue to be involved in the project by planting and watering the garden.
Bird houses crafted by Struthers Middle School students in a project sponsored by the Struthers Rotary will be hung in this pollinator garden at the Elementary School and others in the area.
“The WILD School Site designation provides even more opportunity for our school to give our students an experience to engage with and support the environment that they might not get elsewhere,” says Assistant Principal Joan Jones. “Having this garden here on school grounds helps lessons come to life as students get the opportunity to observe wildlife in its many stages and understand the environment around them. It leaves a strong impression on our students, helping shape them into informed and responsible citizens of our community.”
The WILD School Sites program, administered here in Ohio by the ODNR Division of Wildlife, is considered an action extension of the national Project WILD program. Any educational property used by students, educators, and the local community as a place to learn about and benefit from wildlife and the environment can be certified. The sites function within the premise that every site, regardless of size and location, can provide outdoor educational opportunities that can and should be part of an integrated environmental education program. WILD School Sites that demonstrate program development and site enhancement consistent with the premises outlined in this program are eligible for certification as an official Ohio WILD School Site. Learn more at wildohio.gov
ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR website at ohiodnr.gov
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources presented representatives from Struthers City Schools and Struthers Rotary with a certificate recognizing Struthers Elementary School as a WILD School Site on Thursday, May 5.