14 Nebraskaland • October 2020
Thanks to a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust,
a new habitat education program was initiated by Pheasants
and Quail Forever, the University of Nebraska and the Prairie
Plains Resource Institute: Milkweed in the Classroom was
created for classroom use across Nebraska.
Milkweed in the Classroom was developed to address the
current decline of monarch butterfly populations and the
need to educate students about the importance of pollinators
and their habitats. The program encourages students to take
an active role in creating their own pollinator habitats, while
utilizing conservation practices that can positively impact
soil, water, air and wildlife.
Participating classrooms will receive a kit that includes
everything they need to grow native milkweed plants from
seed. Teachers will have access to step-by-step online training
videos that cover a range of topics, including instruction on
how to monitor the project and successfully incorporate
the program into their school's curriculum to meet national
science standards.
The three-month program starts in February with planting
seeds in the classroom, followed by weeks of growing the
plants alongside activities designed to educate students on
the role pollinators play in producing many of the common
foods we eat. Students will learn about the positive impacts
that pollinator habitats and milkweed plants provide,
including cleaning our water and air, as well as providing
habitat for other wildlife species such as pheasants, quail
and songbirds.
In early May, the milkweed plants should be ready to plant
on a site dedicated to the establishment of a milkweed garden,
preferably on school property. Pheasants Forever chapter
volunteers and staff will provide support to classrooms
on growing and planting milkweed. Once the garden is
established, students will take a survey to evaluate their
knowledge of milkweed and plant ecosystems, pollinators
and knowledge on conservation issues.
Teachers will have the opportunity to monitor milkweed
gardens and gather data on these sites that will be used
to populate the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Monarch
Conservation Database, which tracks the progress of planting
1.6 billion milkweed stems by 2038.
This year, the program is looking for pilot classrooms in
Nebraska that can help grow milkweed plants and create
pollinator habitats. Milkweed in the Classroom hopes to
reach a minimum of 500 students. Through these efforts, the
program aims to establish at least 2,000 new milkweed stems
in our state and further develop the curriculum and training
materials for future use.
For more information about Milkweed in the Classroom,
contact Drew Larsen, director of education & outreach at
Pheasants Forever, Inc. and Quail Forever, (308) 293-1194 or
dlarsen@pheasantsforever.org.
MILKWEED IN THE CLASSROOM
By Julie Geiser
IN THE FIELD
MONARCH
BUTTERFLY
ON
A
SWAMP
MILKWEED
IN
A
SARPY
COUNTY
GARDEN
PHOTO
BY
JEFF
KURRUS
