Even though Mardi Gras wasn't until February 21st, we started our month out with a good ol' fashioned crawfish boil! Well, less of a boil and more of a stream ecology game of deceit, alliances, and survival as students attempted to stay alive as crawfish, trout, or osprey. Students worked with or against their fellow species to find places to hide and hunt, hoping to find a tasty meal or avoid their predators. But all was not lost if you went hungry or were eaten, in fact you simply moved through the ecosystem, mimicking the natural flow of energy. Crawfish would become trout, and trout would become osprey when eaten, while both predators would join the ranks of the crawfish if they went hungry and died. It was an excellent demonstration of food cycles/webs all disguised as a fun game!

Next up was the extraordinary, enigmatic force of erosion! We explored how soil is made from rock and how water, wind, and ice move it downslope. Students were shown a stream diorama to demonstrate how roots, compacted soil, and clay change the amount of erosion and then were let loose to make their very own stream. Each team was given a blank canvas of soil to make their dream stream, as wide or skinny, deep or shallow, curvy or straight as they desired. Then, one by one, we poured different amounts of water (rain) on their streams to see how much and what type of erosion their stream experienced. It was a blast to see the variety of designs and creativity among all the budding stream architects!

In Mid-February we tapped Five large sugar maples in the front of the school and have been cooking it down into Mill Road Maple Syrup! We've be talking about the ancient art of maple tapping and what it takes to make delicious syrup as well as having a pancake party! Students have been trying our homemade syrup and enjoying freshly made pancakes (with gluten free options available).

Spring is fast approaching and for the second year in a row the Mill Road Garden will be partnering with Four Corners Community Farm for a May 6th festival and plant sale fundraiser! More information will be distributed soon in physical and virtual backpacks, but we encourage you to come and enjoy the festivities and get high quality plants for your home and garden!

The Mill Road Garden Website has been updated with all sorts of information, including more detailed lesson descriptions, volunteer opportunities, and school composting information! https://www.redhookcentralschools.org/Page/2135

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer in the garden send me an email at dketo@rhcsd.org