A unique project is currently in progress for Jenks Public Schools. A “living classroom”
including Chimney Swift towers, butterfly gardens, rain barrels, and other
landscaping features is being built near the Freshman Academy in Jenks, Okla.
This interactive outdoor living space will serve as a fascinating way for
students to learn about nature.
The school and 9th grade biology/ornithology
teacher Todd Humphrey approached Tulsa landscaping company Oklahoma Landscape in
Spring 2013 with the idea for a living classroom. Our licensed landscape
architect Paul Strickland then got to work creating 3D concept models of
how the finished classroom would look.
As a Tulsa-area landscaping company, we can see the sweeping
benefits a project like this could have. In thinking about the project, we felt
this was a very unique school concept that could spread across the Tulsa area
into other school systems, allowing kids the opportunity to learn more about landscaping,
plants, caring for gardens, etc.
“We are excited to see this continue to grow each week,”
Oklahoma Landscape President Aaron Wiltshire said. “Ultimately, this will be an
incredible and unique space.”
We’re also excited that many of the Jenks families we’ve
done landscaping for have children who attend Jenks Schools, so they’ll get to
enjoy this natural space. And the site
for the project is actually just a mile or so from the Oklahoma Landscape
office, so it really feels like it’s in our own “backyard.”
When the “Flycatcher Trail” classroom is completed, students
will be able to plant vegetables, perennials, feed birds, and study insects. Students
will also be responsible for the ongoing maintenance of the gardens, trails,
and water feature.
“This project can help students in many ways. It can teach
them how to do things outside. We all know how electronics can dominate the
time of our youth. This project helps kids to get their hands dirty, into the
soil, so to speak. It helps them take pride in caring and nurturing plants and
gardens,” Aaron Wiltshire said. “There’s a lot of pride that comes from
nurturing living things and benefiting from the beauty that is created.”
As a landscaping company, we know the benefits that come
from working with nature and the creativity that can be awakened in the process,
and we hope this project will continue to foster that sense of creativity in
our children…and it could even inspire a future Tulsa landscape designer.
“Some of our youth will become aspiring designers,
architects, etc., and there are little opportunities we can make available to
help put something in front of them that may guide them one way or the other,”
Aaron Wiltshire added.
What are some of the features this distinctive classroom
will have?
Entry structure with rain barrels and a
pergola pass-through.
Water feature with streams and a stone
bridge.
Compost bins
Butterfly garden
Upright Chimney Swift towers
Native landscape plants and trees
Fully automatic sprinkler system
Cedar split rail fencing
Extensive decomposed granite trails
While Oklahoma Landscape is spearheading the project, there
are many others who have donated time, labor, and materials to make this
happen. We felt like we could pull off this huge undertaking because of our
reliable team of professionals and with the valuable help of our trusted
sub-contractors and suppliers.
“Tulsa and the surrounding towns have made Oklahoma
Landscape what it is today, and this project is a great opportunity for us to
give back to the community we all share!” Aaron Wiltshire noted.
The Flycatcher Trail, located in a lot east of the 9th
grade center, is estimated to be completed in March or early April. Stay tuned
for more information on how the work is progressing and the various features of
the living classroom…
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