Forest School News

Snow again? It's been an interesting year weather wise, that's for sure. The path leading to the forest quickly turned to ice too, so I have to say a big thanks to Mrs. Lane's class for helping me chip away the ice to make a safe trail for the younger students. There are also a few students from that class who have started mixing up giant batches of mud to fill in holes along the trails in the forest. I have officially named them the 'Forest Safety Committee' which they are very proud of.

 The students chose grass and worms to learn about in the forest this month.

 Did you know that there are more than 10,000 varieties of grass? Or that grass makes up 26% of all plant life and is the world's most significant source of food? Varieties of grass grow on every continent, even the polar regions, and the average lawn can produce enough oxygen for a family of four!

 Did you know that worms improve soil conditions as they travel through it? As they travel through the ground, they both aerate the soil and improve drainage. Their slime and the castings they leave behind are both rich in nitrogen as well. Bonus fact: the largest earthworm ever seen was 22 feet! It was a microchaetus rappi. This African giant earthworm is the largest of the earthworms, and averages about 4.5 ft in length.

 See you in the forest!

 Mr. Ruiz