After School Green Club
The Parr's Ridge after school Green Club was started in the Fall, 2010. Music Teacher/Master Gardener, Tina Swanson and parent volunteer Andrea Southworth who has a horticulture background lead the group. Each year, 2nd grade club members (approx. 12-14 students each year) participate in hands-on environmental activities once a month during the school year. In the last four years activities have included:
Wildlife Habitat - Spring flowering bulbs, native perennials, shrubs, and trees are planted by members each year
to expand the school's wildlife habitat.
Seed Germination and the Annual Science Fair - Club members explore herb seed germination (basil, sage, oregano, rosemary, nasturtium) using a professional quality grow light cart on loan from the Carroll County Master Gardener Organization. Students predict how long it will take various seeds to germinate using a heat mat, and keep a chart of the seed germination rates. Seedlings are transplanted and cared for by the students. Over 300 basil plants were given away to visitors as part of a Green Club Spring 2013 demonstration exhibit at the Parr's Ridge Annual
Science Fair. Heirloom tomato seedling were given to delighted visitors at the 2012 Science Fair demonstration exhibit.
Compost Exploration - students regularly collect fruit and vegetable scraps from the cafeteria and club meetings to add to the compost bin in the Bay-Wise Butterfly Garden. Student use hand held magnifiers, microscopes, and a Smartscope to identify and study the details of creatures found in compost. This activity was presented as a Green Club demonstration exhibit at the Parr's Ridge 2011 Annual Science Fair.
Garden Structures - In 2011, members determined that the newly planted native honeysuckle, Lonicera
sempervirens needed a garden trellis for climbing. Student created a free-form stick trellis made from privet branches woven together. The trellis stood several years supporting the thriving honeysuckle but we discovered that it had been damaged and knocked over in 2013. Since it was beyond repair, Green Club 2012-13 decided to create a new trellis using bamboo harvested from a local property.
Garden Studies - Members explore plants, seeds, and insects in the Bay-Wise Butterfly Garden. Leaf type comparisons, flying and crawling insects, seed types, etc.
Annual Seed Collection in the Fall Club member collect zinnia and Mexican Sunflower (tithonia) seeds in the fall and save them paper bags over the winter. In spring time, students sow the seeds in the garden after the last frost.
Plant Donations - The Carroll County Master Gardeners and the Mt. Airy Garden Club continue to support Parr's Ridge Green School projects and activities. Green Club members grow herbs and tomato plants for the Master Gardener Annual Plant Sale and the Mt. Airy Garden Club Annual Plant Sale to thank these organizations for helping our student environmental studies.
Green Club Green School T-Shirt Sales - Two sales in the last four years raised money for Green School supplies, plants and shrubs for the club and classroom teachers. In Spring 2013, we purchased 5 new microscopes for the Kindergarten classes.
$750 Grant Award for a Smartscope Microscope - The Green Club applied for Community Foundation Grant to
purchase a digital smartscope to connect to a laptop to view details of plant and insects at Green Club meetings. The smartscope is also available for all classes at Parr's Ridge to use for S.T.E.M. activities.
The Parr's Ridge after school Green Club was started in the Fall, 2010. Music Teacher/Master Gardener, Tina Swanson and parent volunteer Andrea Southworth who has a horticulture background lead the group. Each year, 2nd grade club members (approx. 12-14 students each year) participate in hands-on environmental activities once a month during the school year. In the last four years activities have included:
Wildlife Habitat - Spring flowering bulbs, native perennials, shrubs, and trees are planted by members each year
to expand the school's wildlife habitat.
Seed Germination and the Annual Science Fair - Club members explore herb seed germination (basil, sage, oregano, rosemary, nasturtium) using a professional quality grow light cart on loan from the Carroll County Master Gardener Organization. Students predict how long it will take various seeds to germinate using a heat mat, and keep a chart of the seed germination rates. Seedlings are transplanted and cared for by the students. Over 300 basil plants were given away to visitors as part of a Green Club Spring 2013 demonstration exhibit at the Parr's Ridge Annual
Science Fair. Heirloom tomato seedling were given to delighted visitors at the 2012 Science Fair demonstration exhibit.
Compost Exploration - students regularly collect fruit and vegetable scraps from the cafeteria and club meetings to add to the compost bin in the Bay-Wise Butterfly Garden. Student use hand held magnifiers, microscopes, and a Smartscope to identify and study the details of creatures found in compost. This activity was presented as a Green Club demonstration exhibit at the Parr's Ridge 2011 Annual Science Fair.
Garden Structures - In 2011, members determined that the newly planted native honeysuckle, Lonicera
sempervirens needed a garden trellis for climbing. Student created a free-form stick trellis made from privet branches woven together. The trellis stood several years supporting the thriving honeysuckle but we discovered that it had been damaged and knocked over in 2013. Since it was beyond repair, Green Club 2012-13 decided to create a new trellis using bamboo harvested from a local property.
Garden Studies - Members explore plants, seeds, and insects in the Bay-Wise Butterfly Garden. Leaf type comparisons, flying and crawling insects, seed types, etc.
Annual Seed Collection in the Fall Club member collect zinnia and Mexican Sunflower (tithonia) seeds in the fall and save them paper bags over the winter. In spring time, students sow the seeds in the garden after the last frost.
Plant Donations - The Carroll County Master Gardeners and the Mt. Airy Garden Club continue to support Parr's Ridge Green School projects and activities. Green Club members grow herbs and tomato plants for the Master Gardener Annual Plant Sale and the Mt. Airy Garden Club Annual Plant Sale to thank these organizations for helping our student environmental studies.
Green Club Green School T-Shirt Sales - Two sales in the last four years raised money for Green School supplies, plants and shrubs for the club and classroom teachers. In Spring 2013, we purchased 5 new microscopes for the Kindergarten classes.
$750 Grant Award for a Smartscope Microscope - The Green Club applied for Community Foundation Grant to
purchase a digital smartscope to connect to a laptop to view details of plant and insects at Green Club meetings. The smartscope is also available for all classes at Parr's Ridge to use for S.T.E.M. activities.