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Third graders from Pinon and Turquoise Trail Elementary schools received a gift of nature in September. Seven classrooms with teachers and parent volunteers each spent a morning at the Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve "doing" science.
Santa Fe Botanical Garden docents helped the children construct plant presses, collect Russian olive, Three-leaf sumac, and cottonwood cuttings and then “squeeze” the cuttings into their plant presses.
Learning the correct name and special attributes of each plant was an important part of the program.
Science skills of observation, classification, and comparison were put into practice during a nature hike to the pond with discoveries along the way - a magpie nest, a bull snake, coyote scat, and “stink bugs.” The third graders were attentive, excited about learning and well prepared for the field experience.
A generous grant from the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation provided bus transportation and program materials.
Visit www.santafebotanicalgarden.org to learn more about how Santa Fe Botanical Garden celebrates, cultivates and preserves the rich botanical heritage and biodiversity of the region. |
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