On Friday, April 21, 2023, the 4th grade classes at A.G. Richardson Elementary (AGR) planted trees at the school to help restore the health of their pond. CCPS Teacher of the Year and AGR 4th grade teacher Molly Baird led the project along with fellow 4th grade teachers Megan Birch and Ashley Frye. They worked with April Harper, the Education Manager at Friends of the Rappahannock (FOR), as a part of the Bay Watershed Education & Training grant.
Harper said, "Friends of the Rappahannock kicked off a three-year Bay Watershed Education & Training grant supporting Culpeper and Fauquier Counties in 2021. It has been extremely rewarding to see the professional development FOR has provided and the collaborative relationships with teachers like Molly come together to support student learning in such impactful ways.”
For this project, the AGR 4th grade classes worked with Friends of the Rappahannock on their Science MWEE (Field Investigation). Baird explained, “In the fall, students went into the pond and did an inventory on the animals and critters they could find. Another investigation was completed this spring and the classes determined, based on the critters, that the AGR pond health is NOT GREAT.” Based on this investigation, students then found a solution to their problem. PLANT TREES!
Each class researched the best trees for planting in the pond area and voted on which tree they would plant as “their” tree. The Friends of the Rappahannock staff came to AGR to plant the trees with the students, and each tree was planted with a plaque with the teacher’s name, year, and type of tree. Money from the grant also allowed them to plant perennials that will hopefully contribute to improving the health of the pond.
The goal of the project was to instill life-long, hands-on learning that will improve the school environment for years to come. Baird added, “Through this grant, Friends of the Rappahannock have provided the fourth-grade classes at AGR with the tools, materials, and knowledge to continue this investigation year after year.”
Harper said, “This spring alone, Farmington, Emerald Hill, and AG Richardson Elementary Schools have taken their class's watershed education to the next level by incorporating outdoor learning and student action, like planting trees, into their lesson planning.” She continued, “If you watch the students, you can see their joy to be outdoors and excitement to do something good for their community. I think the next school year is going to be really impactful as we close out this grant and prepare teachers to sustain this engaging work for years to come."