“There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.” – Margaret J. Wheatley
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Asheville, NC- The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) recently partnered with Charles D. Owen Middle School (OMS) in Swannanoa as part of the school’s Natural Impact Initiative (NII), the goal of which is to connect students to their natural Appalachian heritage through outdoor ecological sites designed for exploratory learning. Students and teachers worked with TACF scientists
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Some 200 seventh grade science students at OMS have been raising trout for release over the past five to six months. Recently. 45 trout were released into the Swannanoa River. Trout in the Classroom (troutintheclassroom.org) provided all the materials and fish eggs to promote science education and to restock trout into local streams and rivers.
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Owen Middle school students are giving Mother Nature a helping hand by planting a native pollinator garden as part of the school’s Natural Impact Initiative. The project is in full swing, involving students, community volunteers, and Edward’s landscaping. A grant from the UNC Master’s Gardeners made the beds possible.
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Owen Middle School showcases science and technology while hosting the upcoming second annual Science in Action Day on April 15. All students participate in the event…and move from session to session throughout the morning.
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Owen Middle School’s Natural Impact Initiative kicked off spring activities with milkweed planting. Students from the STEAM Club (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) helped in planting the project. “This milkweed plot will host the Monarch butterfly and become a way station for them as they migrate through the Swannanoa Valley.”
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Connecting the Digital Generation to our Appalachian Natural Heritage. Owen Middle School is creating a school landscape that promotes environmental stewardship, citizen science, and exploratory learning.
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The Natural Impact Initiative (NII) project at Owen Middle School is underway. The project involves teachers, students, campus landscape changes- and lots of hard work. It also involves establishing partnerships with businesses and residents in the Swannanoa Valley to make it happen.
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Owen Middle School science teachers and library faculty hosted a four-hour Science in Action Festival as part of the N.C. Science Festival…made possible through the willingness of a variety of local scientists and college students.
Brittany Krasutsky 