INLAND EMPIRE RESOURCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT

NATIVE PLANT GARDEN MINI-GRANT

PROJECT OBJECTIVE & PURPOSE

The IERCD Native Plant Garden Mini-Grant was designed to provide local schools within our District with the opportunity to start a new or expand an existing on-site native plant garden. The development of student-focused school gardens has a number of benefits to the local environment including creating habitat for local wildlife, using very minimal water, and enhancing soil health. For students, these gardens represent outdoor classrooms capable of illustrating a number of standards-based concepts in a variety of subjects. This grant package aims to identify schools that are ready to take on the responsibility of installation and maintenance of the garden. In order to be considered, interested campuses must be within the IERCDs service area (see attached map), must identify a lead staff person with whom the IERCD will primarily correspond, and must completely fill out all parts of the application. Once your school has been chosen, the IERCD will come on site to review requirements with the lead staff person and make sure that the proposed garden location is feasible. Following that visit, the IERCD will work with the lead staff person to select a plant palette, to arrange a day for garden installation in the months of November through March, and to coordinate the signing of the student waivers to allow the IERCD to use any photos of the garden installation in District promotional materials.
FUNDING

Applications will be accepted as long as grant funding is available. Up to $250 worth of supplies will be awarded to school garden sites. The grant covers donations of the following materials California Native Plants Mulch Soil

DEADLINE & SUBMITTAL

There is no deadline for the grant applications and they will be accepted on a rolling basis as funding allows. Please allow up to 3 weeks after submittal for notice of selection. Please return completed application to: Mail To: Inland Empire Resource Conservation District 25864 K Business Center Drive Redlands, CA 92374
QUESTIONS

or

Email To: Kheer@iercd.org

For any questions or concerns relating to this Mini-Grant, please contact Project Manager, Katie Heer at 909-799-7407 x 102.

REQUIREMENTS OF SCHOOL IF CHOSEN

SCHOOL COMPONENTS

1. Garden Site a. Must have garden site selected on school property. If located off of school property, proof of permission to use by landowner must be presented to IERCD. b. Site must be completely cleared/prepared before chosen planting day. IERCD field staff is available to assist with this if needed. c. IERCD project manager will be required to see site before grant is awarded and meet with Lead school staff member 2. Allow presentation of IERCD Water Use Efficiency education program in each participating classroom to ensure student comprehension and interest prior to planting. Program lesson plans are available for grades K-12. See attached lesson plan for an example of program content. 3. Allow before and after photographs of garden on annual basis, as well as photos of garden installation event.
DOCUMENTS REQUIRED

1. Completed application (attached) 2. All photo waivers signed for participating students and remitted to IERCD.

MINI-GRANT APPLICATION
SCHOOL INFORMATION

Date: _______________ Name of School: _________________________________ School District _________________ Mailing Address: _______________________________________________________________ City: ______________________________________ State_______________ Zip____________ Schools Phone Number_______________________
LEAD TEACHER-COORDINATOR INFORMATION

Lead Staff Persons Name_______________________________________________________ Phone Number (school) ___________________Phone Number (personal)_______________ Email (most likely to respond to) _________________________________________________ Subject teaching__________________________ Grade_______________________________
GARDEN INFORMATION

Please propose the best three days for planting within the November-March months. If selected, the planting will take place on 1 selected day, as the prep work will have to be done before. First Choice____________________ Second Choice__________________ Third Choice____________________

Please describe the students that will take part in caring and learning from this garden, including grade level(s) and any special needs.

Please describe the gardens location and purpose.

Please attach a photo(s) of where the garden will be located on the school campus.

IERCD LESSON PLAN: WATER USE EFFICIENCY

Grade Level/Age: 2nd-4th / 8-10 years Length of program: 40-50 minutes Materials: Enviroscape and Enviroscape parts Water cycle poster State water project poster Water usage cards Gallon of water Felt board Teacher evaluations

VOCABULARY AND KEY CONCEPTS

IERCD Educator introduces herself to class and writes program topic on board. She places the board on display, with the Water District logo, board at prominent location at front of room and begins to go over key vocabulary and concepts. Water Use Efficiency Conservation Natural Resources Water District Information

The Educator will also cover the following vocabulary and concepts during the program: Water cycle o Evaporation, transpiration, condensation, and precipitation Aquifer Drought State Water Project Clay soil vs. sandy soil Drought tolerant plants Permeable surface vs. impermeable surface o What happens to the rain water when it hits a surface like the asphalt or concrete?

WATER USE

Concepts Covered o Water required for a variety of everyday uses, in order to illustrate that the majority of residential water use takes place outside of the home.

PROPERTIES OF SOIL Concepts Covered: o Soil properties including major soil classifications and soil parent material

WATER CYCLE

2.3.c: Students know that soil is made partly from weathered rock and partly from organic materials and soils differ in color, texture and capacity to retain water, and ability to support of growth of many plants. 2.3. e: Students know rock, water, plants, and soil provide many resources, including food, fuel, and building materials that humans use. 3.3.c: Students know living things cause changes in the environment in which they live: some of these changes are detrimental to the organism or other organisms, and some are beneficial. 4.3.a: Students know ecosystems can be characterized by their living and nonliving components.

Concepts Covered: o Physical process of water cycle 3.1.e: Students know matter has three forms: solid, liquid, gas. 3.1.f: Students know evaporation and melting are changes that occur when objects are heated. o Importance of conserving water/drought o Difference in drinking water and water used for non-consumption purposes o Sources of water for Inland Empire Residents Explain concept of Water District Discuss where water district is located; population it serves Explain functions of water district Ground water State Water Project Surface Water

PLANTS Concepts Covered: o Plant structures and use of water 3.3.a: Students know plants and animals have structures that serve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction. o Appropriate plants for the Inland Empire Climate 2.2.c: Students know many characteristics of an organism are inherited from the parents. Some characteristics are caused or influenced by the environment.

GAME AND ACTIVITY The Educator begins the program with a game. The students estimate how many gallons are used for various activities such as showers, washing the car, and watering the lawn. The purpose of this activity is to ensure that the students understand that the majority of water is used outside of the home and that the least amount of water is used for drinking, compared to all the other activities.

Following this activity, the educator will discuss where their water comes from. The Educator will start by discussing the water cycle. The Educator will then discuss the three sources of water: Aquifer, surface water, and the State Water Project. The Educator will then have the students stand around the Enviroscape and will explain the models purpose as a method of demonstrating the relationship between water use, drought, and the need for conservation. The following concepts will be covered: Soil permeability (clay vs. sandy soil) Stormwater run off/ impermeability of surfaces Water usage outdoors/ best practices for reducing outdoor water use

For this activity, the educator will do the following: Mark how much water is in the models aquifer with a marker Ask students to consider how much water is being used in the community and for what purposes While students are doing this the educator will pump water from the well and begin to fill up the models cup. Once the cup is about full of water, the educator will then stop pumping and check where the water line is in the aquifer. The water line will have dropped and the educator will point out that this community is in a drought while also discussing ways in which this will affect the population.

The program will be wrapped up with an educator-led discussion on how to save water at home and at school.