Landscapes for Learning (LFL) has participated in or contributed to over 100 learning landscapes throughout the state of South Carolina. In addition, LFL collaborates with many different organizations.
Excelsior Middle School is working on a five year plan of environmental education. One of the steps includes having a National Wildlife Federation Schoolyard Habitat. The school worked hard to install a butterfly garden, new recycling efforts, and a new weather station on their campus to improve their students’ performance. Foster Park Elementary, located in Union County, constructed a Carolina Fence Garden to enhance student’s knowledge of state symbols. In addition, students engaged in various learning techniques, from drawing and writing poems about their learning landscape to participatory planting. Monarch Elementary, located in Union County, constructed a Carolina Fence Garden using a grant through Landscapes for Learning. A Carolina Fence Garden consists of a split rail fence, Yellow Jessamine, native wildflowers, a Carolina Wren house, and blue granite. These components are of symbolic significance to the history of South Carolina In addition to providing greater awareness of South Carolina’s history, Monarch Elementary described the benefits of the Carolina fence garden to include hands-on participation and outdoor classroom areas. Specifically, children at Monarch Elementary created journals and scrapbooks throughout conception to implementation. Children were also given age appropriate participatory activities, ranging from planting to fence construction. The students at Pine Ridge Middle School engaged in innovative recycling efforts while beginning their butterfly gardens and schoolyard habitats. Students created composting piles and also recycled from their school cafeteria. Many of their Sixth grade classes planted seeds and observed their growth from their outdoor learning classroom. One of the first Landscapes for Learning grants was given to W.E. Parker Elementary School in Edgefield, South Carolina. Through parental help, the students began working on their vegetable garden. The students planted broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, onions, carrots, and strawberries. Additionally, WE Parker Elementary School has four butterfly boxes, a bird feeder, and a birdhouse. They were also fortunate to have a simulated pond constructed at the front of their school. W.E. Parker Elementary School also did many things in preparation for their learning landscape. They presented a show that year called “The Garden Show” that showcased the dramatics of their fifth grade students. “The Garden Show” celebrated their new learning gardens through skits featuring compost piles, aliens from planet chlorophyll, reporters, and bees.
All information has been extracted from each schools respective reports of progress.
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