Dreaming of a Bird Garden at Noah Wallace

The courtyard at is in need of revitalization. Luckily, Jen Villa, a Noah Wallace Parent and local professional landscape designer (www.thymetoplant.com) has been working on a new plan for the space.

“When I took over the Noah Wallace Garden Care Committee in 2010, I began dreaming about the potential of this wonderful, yet underused space,” Villa said.

The garden will be child-friendly, providing areas for science study and observation, reading, writing and art making. Micro-habitats will be created to support hands-on study in the sciences. Native plantings, chosen by Villa, will attract birds and bring multi-seasonal beauty to the courtyard.

The new Bird Garden will serve the school and community as an engaging, environmentally beneficial outdoor classroom- in which children and their families will be able to grow, learn, enjoy and be inspired.  Students from pre-school through fourth grade will — study birds, examine  plants,  observe small living organisms, and complete soil tests — all while enjoying the treasures of nature in “their own backyard.”

Eventually the Courtyard will become certified as a Schoolyard Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation, and we hope to begin participation in the Cornell Bird Studies and Counts.

A Community of Learners

The Noah Wallace School Bird Garden Design and many of the plantings are being donated by Jen Villa and her company, Thyme to Plant. The school community, under the direction of Dr. Diane Cloud, is developing a broad based support structure, similar to that of the Noah Wallace Centennial a few years ago. 

This year, the entire Noah Wallace learning community has been focused on the districts’ Framework for Teaching and Learning Principle #3: Meaningful Knowledge. Teachers know that their students learn best when their learning is meaningful and organized around big ideas and questions and can be transferred to new contexts.  

Dr. Cloud noted that, “our Bird Garden project is a perfect example of how schools can help students make explicit and meaningful connections from nature and apply this knowledge to new learning. The Bird Garden will expose our students to the study of wildlife, horticulture and also teach them how to observe nature and then analyze and record their findings. We are all very excited to have our students experience the wonder of nature in such a meaningful way.”

Community involvement started last fall, as Villa began the initial soil preparations and enlisted scout troops. 

Brownies planted crocuses and daffodils – now in full bloom! Boy Scout Troop 68 and Cub Scout Pack 68 (Webelos) will spread more compost. Later this spring, the boys will be back mulching the new plantings. Tom Clark of Clark Landscaping in Farmington has donated his time and equipment; removing stumps and transplanting trees.  

Currently, NW second graders are writing letters to local nurseries requesting plant donations. Art students will be making cement stepping stones, and families are volunteering to help prepare and plant. The Noah Wallace PTO is supporting this project along with the graduating 4th grade class of 2012 who will be donating a garden bench.

Villa has a master plan with specific dates for each stage of the garden transformation process. There are a variety of small and large volunteer jobs available — for families and individuals. Everyone is encouraged to come out and enjoy the making of a dream — the Noah Wallace Bird Garden.

The community will be invited to a celebration and ribbon cutting, scheduled for Thursday, May 24  from 5-7 pm — the same evening as the Noah Wallace School’s annual Arts Fest.

NW Dreams of a Bird Garden donations and volunteers are still needed. To get involved, please contact Jen Villa (860) 573-2096.