A group of dedicated Polk Central Elementary students spent three afternoons in April and May doing something that doesn’t show up on any test – getting their hands dirty for the good of their school and the environment.
Third through fifth grade Garden Club members volunteered their after-school time to clean up and restore the pollinator and berry gardens at Polk Central, working alongside Champions for Wildlife, who provided expert guidance and educational enrichment throughout the project.
The work was real and the effort was significant. Students dug out plants that had grown where they didn’t belong, cleared away dry stalks and seedheads that had served as winter homes and food sources for insects and birds, and worked to bring the gardens back to their full beauty just in time for the final weeks of school.
It was hot. It was hard work. And they did it anyway.
The result is a pair of thriving gardens that will welcome students, pollinators, and wildlife through the end of the school year and well into summer – a lasting contribution from students who chose to give their time and energy to something bigger than themselves.
