1st Audit December 2015

2nd Audit April 2016

Our school is a National Wildlife

Federation Certified Schoolyard
1 Habitat.

No

Yes, we received this designation since

the first audit.

What type of setting is your school

2 located?

Urban

Urban

Outdoor school gardens; outdoor raised

beds; chicken coop

Outdoor school gardens; outdoor

raised beds; chicken coop. We added
4 garden beds designed to attract
pollinators. We also terraced and
mulched the band hall courtyard. We
recently purchased a tub pond to fill
with fish (gambusia) and plants.

Does the school contain all five

wildlife habitat requirements in a
natural urban, suburban or rural
setting - food, water, shelter, places to
raise young and healthy and
4 sustainable habitat?

Yes, but the only constant source of water

is set out for the chickens. Otherwise we
have an unused bird bath and some
drainage areas that hold water/soil
moisture after the rain

Yes, and we now keep the bird bath

full of water, and are in the process of
finishing a tub pond with plants and
gambusia fish

5 Our students know the types of wild

Based on a survey of non eco-team

students: Monarch Butterflies,
Grasshoppers, Squirrels, Black Birds,
Pigeons, Humming Birds, Worms

The overall general knowledge isn't

expected to change from the previous
audit since we have not yet added
signage.

Students know the birds and insects

6 If yes, please list a few below.

Based on a survey of non eco-team

students: Yes, Monarch Butterflies

The overall general knowledge isn't

expected to change from the previous
audit since we have not yet added
signage.

7 Are you raising wildlife for release i

No

No, but as we fill our tub pond, we will

add fish that eat mosquitos (gambusia)

Our school provides at least one bird

8 bath.

Yes, but we haven't made sure it is always Yes, and we are making sure it stays
filled with water
full of water

What type of green spaces make up

3 your school property, inside and out?

No

Green Teens after school club built bat

houses, but they have not been
installed yet.

Our school has at least one insect

10 house.

No

Our Green Teens after school club

built native bee houses, and they will
be installed before the school year
ends. We also grow mealworms to
feed to our chickens, but this is
indoors.

Our school has at least one toad

11 house.

No

No.

No

Our Green teens after school club built

native bat houses, and they will be
installed once permission is granted

No

Yes. We installed a garden bed each

for hummingbirds, native bees,
butterflies and one specifically for
monarchs during Keep Eastside
Beautiful workdays.

Our school provides bird houses and

9 nesting boxes.

12 Our school has a bat house(s).

We have pollinator gardens in an

effort to increase our local pollinator
13 numbers.

We have planted four or more

varieties of pollinator plants, both
larval and nectar plants, to increase
the pollinator biodiversity our school
14 serves.
No

Yes, our most recent new plant

additions include: red tropical sage,
flame acanthus, Englemann's Daisie,
gulf coast muhly, bushy skullcap, blue
curls and black-eyed Susan

Are the habitats free from herbicides

15 or pesticides?

No change, this is a school district

policy.

No- they are used on a case by case basis

for pests, like wasps.

We installed a rain garden in an area

that receives roof runoff and can have
standiing water in our Humanities
courtyard. We also installed a berm to
catch runoff in our fruit tree courtyard.
We have a natural depression drainage
We purchased a tub pond which will
Does the school have a working pond, area that collects rainwater (Humanities
house gambusia and native water
stream, wetland or vernal pool
courtyard), and a berm that retains runoff plants. We have a rain water collection
16 system?
(pollinator garden)
barrels.
There are greater than ten varieties of
vegetation inside and/or outside our
17 school.
Yes

Yes

What percentage of the schools

18 vegetation is native?

According to the trees identified by

OpenTreeMap, we have 16 different
types of trees. 80% of them are native.
Native species include: mulberry,
redbud, Mexican plum, Arizona ash,
Live Oak, Texas red oak, sugarberry,
According to the trees identified by
desert willow, goldenball lead tree,
OpenTreeMap, we have 16 different types burr oak, American elm, pecan, and
of trees. 80% of them are native
Texas Mountain Laurel.

Our schools has fallen log pile(s) that

serve as both habitat for wildlife and
for hands-on studies related to
19 decomposition.

Yes, the Humanities courtyard has a

mulch pile where students place dead
weeds and unwanted veg material. They
use it to nourish their permaculture berm.

Yes, we have native and non-native

vegetation. Natives include: Arizona ash,
Pecan, Texas red Oak, Live Oak, Desert
Willow, Texas Mountain Laurel. Nonnatives include: Tallowtree, Common
List the natural tree and shrub
crapemyrtle, 2 peach trees, 2 plum, 2 pear,
varieties found on the school grounds grape vines, banana plants, roses,
20 and/or green roofs.
mimosas.

Are the school grounds used for

learning and teaching? If yes, please
provide a brief description or bullet
21 points.

We've added a brush pile in the

chicken courtyard that provides cover
for our new baby chickens and/or other
small animals.

This year we added: milkweed, red

tropical sage, flame acanthus,
Englemann's Daisie, gulf coast muhly,
bushy skullcap, blue curls and blackeyed Susan

"Yes in some special ocassions, like

when it's very nice outside or we are
finished with our work. Lime stone,
pollination garden, humanities garden,
varies courtyards." "Yes, Numerous
teachers have classes outside on a
Yes, when it is cold or hot we can choose regular basis. Classes take place in the
to go outside to learn. My English teacher limestone courtyard, humanities
lets us go into nature and learn a lesson. courtyard, pollinator/fruit tree garden,
Dr. Jeames designates a day for us to go track, and various courtyards around
outside and pick weeds and build plants. the school. "

What percentage of the student body

uses the school gardens or other
natural spaces on a regular basis? (2
22 or more times a week)
What is the average time a student
spends in the garden or outdoor
23 learning classroom each week?

52%

52%

23

23

Eco-Action team members have

included and worked with facilities
and/pr grounds keepers on
maintenance watering and chemical
24 use issues.

No

We've worked with the AISD grounds

crew to stop mowing in our habitat
areas. Concerns raised by our school
have promoted positive change in
other AISD school habitats.

25 The school uses a sprinkler system t

Yes

Yes

The school hand waters vegetation

26 using hoses and buckets.

Yes

Yes

The school utilizes a drip irrigation

27 system.

Yes, but only on the water retention berm

by the pollinator beds
No change

The school uses a rain cistern and/or

collection of rain barrels for garden
28 irrigation.

No

No

Questions from the previous 2015

Audit

Are there plenty of objects for

climbing and balancing on, and
1 jumping and swinging from?

The courtyards on school grounds contain

rock blocks as well as benches which
could be used for climbing and balancing
on. These are located outside in between
campus buildings. There are benches both
in and out of the shade, and the rock
blocks are in the grass in the sun. There
are climbing structures/a small playground
in the daycare area.
No change.

Are there several different surfaces

and materials to feel, touch, and
2 explore?

Yes

Yes, Limestone rocks, various native

and non-native trees, shrubs, and fruit
trees.

Does the school have a natural

3 playscape?

No

No

4 Are there murals, mosaics, and/or o

There is artwork both inside and outside

the school building. Inside there is a
mosaic of stone flags/icons from the
countries from the students that attend
International High School (IHS). In the
700 building there are student sculpture
installations done in lockers.

New mural by the gym that represents

the various sports and teams here at
Eastside.

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