Contact: Carole Mason Administrator Phone 608.273.0309 Email: information@eagleschool.

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Eagle School of Madison 5454 Gunflint Trail Fitchburg, WI 53711 Phone 608.273.0309 Fax 608.273.0278

Eagle School of Madison

Press Release
Eagle School Prairie Restoration Club receives WEEB grant to continue work on Gunflint Trail Park prairie Grant fosters public/private partnership between the City of Fitchburg, Fitchburg Research Park Associates and Eagle School
Fitchburg, WI, May 18, 2012: Wisconsin Environmental Education Board (WEEB) recently awarded Eagle School of Madison its General Environmental Education mini-grant in the amount of $999 for its project entitled, Teaching students about environmental stewardship and community service through prairie restoration. The funds will be made available to support the first phase of the schools Prairie Restoration Club project to create a nursery for propagating native prairie plants for later transplantation in The Gunflint Trail Park prairie located just east of the school. WEEB funding supports public/private consortiums for the development, dissemination, and implementation of environmental education programs. The long-term goal is to develop Gunflint Trail Parks prairie as an educational and community resource. The project began last year as one of several Eagle School community service projects and, because of students enthusiasm, evolved into a club dedicated to restoring part of City of Fitchburgs Gunflint Trail Park back to a native oak savannah prairie. From this arose a natural consortium between the City of Fitchburg, Fitchburg Research Park Associates (FRPA) and Eagle School. Last fall, Eagles mascot oak tree produced a dearth of acorns which eager elementary students found sprouting with the wet fall weather. This inspired the service club to pot young oak seedlings with soil donated by the Fitchburg Jungs Garden Center, and with advice from Fitchburgs forester, Ed Bartell. This inspired the City of Fitchburg to then donate 3 native oak trees, which Mr. Bartell helped club members plant (appropriately) on Arbor Day in the proposed prairie.

For Release 9 a.m. CDT, May 18, 2012 more

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Eagle School awarded WEEB grant to restore oak savannah prairie in Fitchburg With the help of prairie expert Jason Hankes of Fitchburg Center, the students also collected and identified prairie plant seeds from FRPAs own restored prairie last fall, which they then planted in flats this spring. A section near the Gunflint Trail Park sign was prepared for the future native plant nursery, and the students will dedicate their last club date of the school year to planting the seedlings and native plant stock donated by Fitchburg Center this Friday, May 18 . This partnership between our students, the city and research park has just blossomed into what we anticipate will become a long-term tradition of service to our community and the environment, while, at the same time, has and is fostering a deeper and healthier connection between our children and the land, says Eagle Schools administrator, Carole Mason. Eagle School is bordered by marshland, the Capitol City bike trail, fields and woodland and offers our students a unique opportunity to explore, learn and play in a natural environment. It only makes sense that they participate in its restoration and preservation. After working with the students planting trees, Ed Bartell complimented the students on how hard working and eager they were. Because the students are the creative force behind the project, there are great expectations that this grant represents only the beginning of several interrelated projects. Students have been discussing plans for a teaching amphitheater, building a boardwalk in the marsh, setting up wildlife viewing and educational stations and improving a drainage ditch that is evolving into a frog habitat. Their ideas will provide environmental education opportunities for years to come. EAGLE School is an independent school operated by the non-profit corporation, EAGLE School of Madison, Inc. EAGLE School is dedicated to serving the educational needs of gifted and talented children, kindergarten through eighth grade, in the greater Madison area. Fitchburg Research Park Associates is .
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