Tampa Bay
High School Wetland Nursery Program
Category: Intertidal
Cost: ~$ 5,000/nursery setup
Description: This program involves middle and high school
students in constructing and maintaining a nursery on their school grounds
to grow Spartina and mangroves for use in publicly financed habitat restoration
projects. Students build and operate the nursery, incorporate the experience
into their science and math curriculum, and harvest the plants at the appropriate
time. Usually, students participate in habitat restoration projects utilizing
the plants they have grown. Costs for the program include funds for a nursery
setup, power supply, and maintenance.
Outcome: This started as a pilot project at one school and
now is a permanent program currently involving fifteen area schools, both
public and private. Hundreds of students have helped to raise the wetland
plants and transplant them to approved restoration sites, fostering a sense
of stewardship and commitment to bay protection among these young people.
The project has also saved public agencies more than $ 60,000 over the last
six years by providing wetland plants for projects free of charge.
Contact: Sari Scholossberg, (727) 896-5320, saris@tampabaywatch.org.
Citation: "High School Wetland Nursery Manual,"
Tampa Bay Watch, 1999.
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