Bolingbrook HS Prairie Restoration Project Making Progress

Submitted by Valley View School District 365U

Photo: Students are seen working on the BHS prairie.

There was no resting this summer for Bolingbrook High School students and staff who were able to continue their work on restoring the BHS prairie along Lily Cache to its natural state thanks to a 2015 Illinois Schoolyard Habitat Action Grant.

The grant, made possible by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the Jadel Youth Fund, the Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Foundation, the Illinois Conservation Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ Partners for Fish and Wildlife, will help restore more native plants to the 12 acre natural area on campus, increase biodiversity in both flora and fauna, and stop further degradation of the site by invasive species.

The goal is to utilize this site as an educational resource for the benefit of both BHS students as well as the community.

Prairie restoration continued during the spring and summer including an Earth Day cooperative learning experience for over 400 students who learned first-hand about helping the Earth by utilizing the environment surrounding BHS. Students cleared the area of invasive species and prepared the site for seeding of native plants.

Science Club students prepped seeds for germination, and researched the possible need for stratification (exposure to cold temperatures for better germination) and the difference between cold and dry storage. Members of the BHS Junior ROTC volunteered their time, prepping the area and sowing native seeds purchased with the aid of the grant.

Zoology students have worked throughout the summer removing highly invasive teasel, giving an opportunity for native plants to thrive, while gaining environmental stewardship experience.

In the fall students from BHS biology classes will utilize the area for their sustainability unit. Native seeds will be collected from the prairie area, properly prepped and stored, along with continued preparation of the area for further restoration.

The multi-year project has already benefited over 2,000 BHS students through cooperative learning, helping them tackle real-world questions, issues and controversies. They are collaborating within and beyond the classroom, developing environmental literacy, constructing explanations and developing solutions for everyday problems.

“Students are not just taught topics, but have the unique opportunity to learn by doing science, developing skills to become citizen scientists,” said coordinator Pat Genardo. “They develop a sense of ownership regarding the site, knowing they made a difference in our local environment.

“Community service is an added benefit which can be applied to college applications, scholarships etc. for our student body.”