We are thrilled to be able to invite you to take a stroll along the new natural trails through our never-before-been-used woodlands at the front of Caraway. Ben Koons, a former Caraway student, along with his team of volunteers, took on for his Eagle Scout project the massive tasks of creating natural pathways, cleaning out trash, and removing invasive plants to give our school a brand new outdoor learning area, while still keeping the woodlands a very intact native habitat.
The trail has four access points, with two right near the front of the school. There’s even a clearing with large boulders that students can use for seats as they listen to birds and study nature.
The project took two weekends of hard work. As part of the habitat project, Ben’s team worked hard to removed invasive non-native plants from the woodlands, including 4 Ligustrum trees…
More than 20 Nandina shrubs…
And vines and vines of Japanese honeysuckle.
(That’s our very own Mr. Fowler working hard to get out all the root systems of those terribly invasive vines.)
The removal of the Japanese honeysuckle and other invasives means that our native plants — like American Beautyberry, a fantastic wildlife plant — have a chance to survive and thrive.
So take a stroll through our front woodlands, and observe our native plants and the wildlife they support. Can you identify Yaupons? Cedar Elms? Wafer Ash? Bur and Live Oaks? Ashe Juniper? Can you find any mushrooms (don’t eat them!) and animal burrows? What wildlife can you spot? Be sure to stay on the trails to protect our habitat!
Thank you so much, Ben and all your crew, for such a fantastic gift that will benefit Caraway students AND wildlife for years and years to come!
By the way, we are working on new educational signs for both our woodland areas, along with plans to increase the native diversity with new plants and seeds to be planted by our students this October!
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