What is this Expedition?

            Throughout the year, 7^th graders learn about the importance of having a natural habitat.  In Wisconsin, our natural habitat is Prairie, which is quickly being destroyed to make room for residential and industrial construction.  In hopes to raise awareness and by doing so restore the prairies, the school has organized this expedition.  The students help take out invasive plants and re-grow the natural ones at Aldo Leopold.  They also plan to use the seeds that students collected last year to build a prairie by the lagoon.  Numerous valuable things are taught about plant life and the harm of taking species to a place where they do not live in naturally.

Guiding Questions:

A)    What is a prairie ecosystem?

B)     Why are we altering the present ecosystem at Winnequah Park?

C)    How do your design, construct, and maintain a new prairie ecosystem?

Projects:

A)    Planting seeds and plant-plugs

B)     Develop a field guide of new plants at Winnequah Park

C)    Design a sign to compliment the site

D)    Presentation to Parks and Recreation Board by selected students.

Field Work:

A)    Observation a prairie ecosystem

B)     Collect prairie seeds

Service:

A)    Collecting prairies seeds-“Adult Conservation Team”

B)     Planting the Prairie