native plant garden mini-grant opportunity

8/2/2019 Native Plant Garden Mini-Grant Opportunity

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I N L A N D E M P I R E R E S O U R

C O N S E R V AT I O N D I S T R I C


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NATIVE PLANT GARDEN MINI-GRANT

PROJECT OBJECTIVE & PURPOSE

The IERCD Native Plant Garden Mini-Grant was designed to provide local schools within our District with

the opportunity to start a new or expand an existing on-site native plant garden. The development ofstudent-focused school gardens has a number of benefits to the local environment including creating

habitat for local wildlife, using very minimal water, and enhancing soil health. For students, these

gardens represent outdoor classrooms capable of illustrating a number of standards-based concepts in

a variety of subjects.

This grant package aims to identify schools that are ready to take on the responsibility of installation

and maintenance of the garden. In order to be considered, interested campuses must be within the

IERCDs service area (see attached map), must identify a lead staff person with whom the IERCD will

primarily correspond, and must completely fill out all parts of the application.

Once your school has been chosen, the IERCD will come on site to review requirements with the lead

staff person and make sure that the proposed garden location is feasible. Following that visit, the

IERCD will work with the lead staff person to select a plant palette, to arrange a day for garden

installation in the months of November through March, and to coordinate the signing of the student

waivers to allow the IERCD to use any photos of the garden installation in District promotional

materials.

FUNDING

Applications will be accepted as long as grant funding is available. Up to $250 worth of supplies will be

awarded to school garden sites.

The grant covers donations of the following materials

California Native Plants Mulch Soil


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DEADLINE & SUBMITTAL

There is no deadline for the grant applications and they will be accepted on a rolling basis as funding

allows. Please allow up to 3 weeks after submittal for notice of selection.

Please return completed application to:

Mail To:

Inland Empire Resource Conservation District

25864 K Business Center Drive

Email To:

[email protected]

Redlands, CA 92374

QUESTIONS

For any questions or concerns relating to this Mini-Grant, please contact Project Manager, Katie Heer at909-799-7407 x 102.

REQUIREMENTS OF SCHOOL IF CHOSEN

SCHOOL COMPONENTS

1. Garden Sitea. Must have garden site selected on school property. If located off of school property,

proof of permission to use by landowner must be presented to IERCD.

b. Site must be completely cleared/prepared before chosen planting day. IERCD field staff isavailable to assist with this if needed.

c. IERCD project manager will be required to see site before grant is awarded and meet withLead school staff member

2. Allow presentation of IERCD Water Use Efficiency education program in each participatingclassroom to ensure student comprehension and interest prior to planting. Program lesson

plans are available for grades K-12. See attached lesson plan for an example of program content.

3. Allow before and after photographs of garden on annual basis, as well as photos of gardeninstallation event.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

1. Completed application (attached)2. All photo waivers signed for participating students and remitted to IERCD.

or


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MINI-GRANT APPLICATION

SCHOOL INFORMATION

Date: _______________

Name of School: _________________________________ School District _________________

Mailing Address: _______________________________________________________________

City: ______________________________________ State_______________ Zip____________

Schools Phone Number_______________________

LEAD TEACHER-COORDINATOR INFORMATION

Lead Staff Persons Name_______________________________________________________

Phone Number (school) ___________________Phone Number (personal)_______________

Email (most likely to respond to) _________________________________________________

Subject teaching__________________________ Grade_______________________________

GARDEN INFORMATION

Please propose the best three days for planting within the November-March months. If

selected, the planting will take place on 1 selected day, as the prep work will have to be done

before.

First Choice____________________

Second Choice__________________

Third Choice____________________

Please describe the students that will take part in caring and learning from this garden,

including grade level(s) and any special needs.


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Please describe the gardens location and purpose.

Please attach a photo(s) of where the garden will be located on the school campus.


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IERCD LESSON PLAN: WATER USE EFFICIENCY

Grade Level/Age: 2nd-4th / 8-10 years

Length of program: 40-50 minutes

Materials:

Enviroscape and Enviroscape parts Water cycle poster State water project poster Water usage cards Gallon of water Felt board Teacher evaluations

VOCABULARY AND KEY CONCEPTS

IERCD Educator introduces herself to class and writes program topic on board. She places the

board on display, with the Water District logo, board at prominent location at front of room andbegins to go over key vocabulary and concepts.

Water Use Efficiency Conservation Natural Resources Water District Information

The Educator will also cover the following vocabulary and concepts during the program:

Water cycleo Evaporation, transpiration, condensation, and precipitation

Aquifer Drought State Water Project Clay soil vs. sandy soil Drought tolerant plants Permeable surface vs. impermeable surface

o What happens to the rain water when it hits a surface like the asphalt or concrete?WATER USE

Concepts Covered

o Water required for a variety of everyday uses, in order to illustrate that the majorityof residential water use takes place outside of the home.

PROPERTIES OF SOIL

Concepts Covered:o Soil properties including major soil classifications and soil parent material


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2.3.c: Students know that soil is made partly from weathered rock and partly fromorganic materials and soils differ in color, texture and capacity to retain water,

and ability to support of growth of many plants.

2.3. e: Students know rock, water, plants, and soil provide many resources,including food, fuel, and building materials that humans use.

3.3.c: Students know living things cause changes in the environment in whichthey live: some of these changes are detrimental to the organism or other

organisms, and some are beneficial.

4.3.a: Students know ecosystems can be characterized by their living andnonliving components.

WATER CYCLE

Concepts Covered:o Physical process of water cycle

3.1.e: Students know matter has three forms: solid, liquid, gas. 3.1.f: Students know evaporation and melting are changes that occur when

objects are heated.

o Importance of conserving water/droughto Difference in drinking water and water used for non-consumption purposeso Sources of water for Inland Empire Residents

Explain concept of Water District Discuss where water district is located; population it serves Explain functions of water district

Ground water State Water Project Surface Water

PLANTS

Concepts Covered:o Plant structures and use of water

3.3.a: Students know plants and animals have structures that serve differentfunctions in growth, survival, and reproduction.

o Appropriate plants for the Inland Empire Climate 2.2.c: Students know many characteristics of an organism are inherited from the

parents. Some characteristics are caused or influenced by the environment.

GAME AND ACTIVITY

The Educator begins the program with a game. The students estimate how many gallons are used

for various activities such as showers, washing the car, and watering the lawn. The purpose of this

activity is to ensure that the students understand that the majority of water is used outside of the

home and that the least amount of water is used for drinking, compared to all the other activities.


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Following this activity, the educator will discuss where their water comes from. The Educator will

start by discussing the water cycle. The Educator will then discuss the three sources of water:

Aquifer, surface water, and the State Water Project.

The Educator will then have the students stand around the Enviroscape and will explain the

models purpose as a method of demonstrating the relationship between water use, drought, andthe need for conservation. The following concepts will be covered:

Soil permeability (clay vs. sandy soil) Stormwater run off/ impermeability of surfaces Water usage outdoors/ best practices for reducing outdoor water use

For this activity, the educator will do the following:

Mark how much water is in the models aquifer with a marker Ask students to consider how much water is being used in the community and for what

purposes While students are doing this the educator will pump water from the well and begin to fill

up the models cup.

Once the cup is about full of water, the educator will then stop pumping and check wherethe water line is in the aquifer.

The water line will have dropped and the educator will point out that this community is in adrought while also discussing ways in which this will affect the population.

The program will be wrapped up with an educator-led discussion on how to save water at home

and at school.

native plant garden mini-grant opportunity

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