Robins Elementary Schoolyard Habitat Project
In Cooperation with Sweetwater in the Foothills Community • Tucson, Arizona

PLANS AND PROGRESS

Who Provided Help

Richard Hoffman and Ticia Lens of the TUSD Maintenance Dept. helped with identification of existing plants and locating present irrigation system.
Tamara Shamrock, art teacher, tiles for benches and tables.
Bach's Cactus, Diane Bach, referral to Cactus and Succulent Club (Richard Wiedoff) that recycles native plants being disturbed by construction. Source of low cost larger plants.
Ed Brown of Landscape Maintenance came out to look at the site and help with problem solving. He also gave us an unitemized guesstimate of the cost to get a working irrigation system for our garden areas.
Ed was recommended to us by David Rhude of Cactus Hardware, Inc. (ACE) on Grant Road.
Deanne Anderson of Pioneer Landscaping Materials, Inc. has helped with identifing materials for the project and will special price them for us.
Tohono Chul plant sales center gave the school 10% off the plants purchased for the garden.
Matt Smit of Silverbell Nursery gave the school 10% off the plants purchased for the garden (and donated some as well)
Jeremy, the store manager at Lowes on Oracle Road gave us a 10% discount on supplies that we purchase from them.
Yahira from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum gave a presentation to the Project Team and left the pollinator kit for the teachers to use in their classrooms. Melody Maynard and Kathy DeVinney are responsible for overseeing its use in the school.
The Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society had volunteer members on site to help with the cactus garden planting.

Schoolyard Habitat Committee
Geri Ashworth - Chair

Elsa Aguirre
Kristin Bitgood
Steve Bless
Nancy DeArman
Kathy DeVinney
Ellen Fountain
Mirna Leon-Galligan
Terry Galligan
Deborah Harrison
Laurel Isilas
Melody Maynard
Elizabeth Minno

SEE A SLIDE SHOW OF OUR FIRST PLANTING DAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2008

 

   This area in front of the school will be part of the butterfly habitat. It will include the area behind the large foreground tree and the area in front of the large windows

 

Looking across an area that will be part of the cactus habitat.



This map shows the proposed schoolyard habitat areas identified by students, teachers and community residents. These different habitats will serve different populations of wildlife and birds.

Birdhouses adorn an existing mesquite tree in back of the school. This area will be part of the bird habitat.

 

A wash adjoins this area in back of the school which will be part of the bird habitat. Additional plants will provide natural nesting sites, cover and food for a variety of birds and small mammals.