Last week, buphalo went to John Hay Elementary to give a lesson to 4th and 5th graders on water as a limited resource and the effects of pollution on watersheds. Unfortunately, we don’t have any photos from that day, but this hands-on lesson included a large tub of water, sponges of various shapes and sizes, and food coloring. From what I understand, this was the highlight of recess as the entire schoolyard was interested in seeing this colorful and informative display of water usage. This lesson was one of several that buphalo will present at John Hay throughout the school year, and to compliment what they have been learning in the classroom, we had the kids out to work with us in the Greenbelt.
This is the second year of our ongoing relationship with John Hay, and some of the 5th graders that came out today had worked with us last year as 4th graders. In fact, we had them maintaining the site that last year’s group had cleared of invasive species and planted with native trees and shrubs! After the maintenance was completed, the class had lunch and hot cocoa while Ben Smith played clarinet and recruited kids to play the tambourine. When lunch was over, we switched gears and formed a bucket brigade to get everyone warmed up. After about an hour we had mulched a 270 sq.ft. area and our mountain of mulch is now nearly gone thanks to these hard workers. To end the day, buphalo took the class on a short hike through the Greenbelt before sending them home dirty, wet, and wiser.
