Gesher Green

In the fall of 2009, Gesher inaugurated our new garden. We had a wonderful work party and built seven raised beds alongside the building, for classes to use for growing plants. In the spring of 2010, most elementary grades took a bed for their class to plant in. They coordinated the garden beds with different units of study. The Gan grew vegetables to use during a study of nutrition. Second Grade grew bulbs and sweet herbs because they study Shabbat and Havdallah. Third Grade planted a “Three sisters” garden just like Native Americans would grow. In Fourth Grade they grew a “kitchen garden” similar to ones grown in the medieval and colonial times. And Fifth Grade grew a slave garden because they were studying the Civil War. The Middle School planted winter wheat in the fall. In the spring of 2011, the First Grade will plant flowers for butterflies in keeping with their ethics study of kindness to animals.

Over the summer several “garden angels” came and helped maintain the beds. In the fall, all the grades went into the gardens to see what’s growing there. There are several kinds of squash, some watermelons, carrots, kale, collards, peppermint and basil. They got to sample some foods. For Sukkot we played learning games in the garden as well.

We are so lucky to have a school that sits in the middle of some beautiful woods. These woods are very mature and healthy. There is a nice variety of tree species. Some species are easy to recognize. One is the American Beech which has a smooth gray bark. We also have several species of oak trees, such as white oaks, both northern and southern red oaks, and blackjack oaks, among others. There are hickory and ash trees as well. Some of our conifers are White, Virginia and Loblolly Pines. Our woods boast a healthy mammal population as well. We often see deer and fox. Of course, there are many birds that live here.

Our plans for the forest include creating and mulching trails. Eventually we would like to have a trail that circles the building and connects all the stations in our Environmental Center.

The classes that will be spending the most time in the woods are the Gan and Third Grade. The Gan studies trees as part of their science curriculum. The third grade will learn how to care for, and protect the forest as part of the Gesher Green responsibilities.

One of our habitats is especially uncommon. It is the vernal pond and wetlands. A vernal pond is a pool of water that is seasonal. In spring (after the “vernal” equinox) it fills up with water from rain and snow melt. During the summer droughts it dries out and becomes grassland. This annual dessication means that it cannot support fish. But this is also a great advantage! Since there are no fish, it is a perfect nursery for amphibians -- frogs, toads, and salamanders. Young amphibians have gills and breathe water. Our young amphibians can develop in the vernal pool without fear of fish predation. World-wide, amphibians are in trouble. Over half of them are endangered. One theory for their demise is that they need two separate habitats to survive: ponds for the aquatic young and healthy woodlands for the air-breathing adults. Here at Gesher, we have both! On rainy early spring nights, adult frogs and salamanders come from the woods to the pond to mate. The air is full of the loud calls of the “spring peepers” and wood frogs. Large Spotted Salamanders can travel several miles to get here. Later we have tadpoles and salamander larva by the thousands swimming in our vernal pond. By early June there are tiny frogs, no bigger than your thumbnail, hopping around. It is very exciting.

The vernal pond and surrounding wetlands are just off the parking lot. The Gan and their Fifth Grade buddies will be spending time learning about and protecting this station. There is a sitting area nearby for outdoor activities. It is beautiful to see.

When you drive into Gesher, the driveway takes a sharp left turn just before the parking lot. On the inside of that curve is our meadow. A meadow is a unique habitat that is home to certain specialized animals, such as meadowlarks, bobwhite, box turtles, butterflies, dragonflies, mice, and toads. It is also an endangered habitat, as are many of the animals that depend on it.

A meadow is not an orderly garden. Indeed, some see it as a weed patch! But it is really a very special place composed of sun-loving native grasses and wildflowers. We currently have many natives, including goldenrod, dogbane, purple-topped grass, and asters. These attract many butterflies and other pollinators. These, in turn, attract the insect eaters, like dragonflies and other birds. There are also seed eaters like sparrows. Finally, the carnivores, like fox and hawks, come in. It is a beautiful ecosystem.

The meadow habitat is the focus of the first and second grades. The First Grade looks at the insects that inhabit the area. The Second Grade studies the plants.

Our last Gesher Green habitat to spotlight is human-made. It is our bird sanctuary.

We have done two things to help attract more birds to Gesher. One is our feeder station. Here we have several different feeders hanging from a lovely holder. It is near the playground. We see mostly finches and sparrows here.

The second project is the bird boxes. We have six boxes surrounding the back field. These boxes were specifically built to help the Bluebird population. Bluebirds are related to robins, but with lovely blue backs. They eat insects, and are very helpful to gardeners and orchardist.

Bluebirds nest in holes in trees. They are not the only ones who nest that way, and competition for good cavities can be great. A generation ago, bluebird populations were very low, partly because there weren’t enough good nesting sites. Nesting boxes were designed and built by caring individuals, to help the bluebirds. Other small cavity nesters use them too, like wrens, chickadees, titmice and tree swallows.

Monitoring Gesher’s boxes is the job of the Fourth Grade. Come spring, they will learn how to open the boxes. Each week they will look inside to see who, if anyone is living there. They will learn to recognize the nests of different birds, and then watch as the eggs are laid and the babies are raised. The students learn how to keep careful records, as any scientist must. The results are sent to The Virginia Bluebird Society who forwards them to Cornell University ornithology department. They will use the data to help determine the health of these species.

Composting is an important part of the Gesher Green program. Each day the children sort their lunch remains. The compost is then collected by our middle school Compost Team who brings it to the compost tumbler in the yard. In the fall, some beautifully, rich, black compost was added to our garden beds to improve their productivity. Recycling is also part of the culture of our school. Every classroom has a bin for discarded paper. In the cafeteria we also have bins for glass, plastic, and cans. All of this is collected separately and sent to recycling centers in the county.