SCHOOL FOREST

It was another busy summer in the forest!  New trees, shrubs wildflowers, a new trail, and a stump jump! The forest team continues to work to make the forest an incredible outdoor learning space for our students and community.

There are many fantastic things happening in the Whitnall School Forest this summer! New trees, new trail signs, wildflowers are in bloom, and there is lots of activity among the deer, birds, bees, and butterflies.

Summer in the Forest Presentation

Since the forest was purchased by the Whitnall School District in 1991, it has gone through many changes.  Teachers in the district have led teams to remove invasives, hold clean up days, plant trees and pollinator gardens, build trails and learning spaces, purchase educational materials, and write forest lesson plans. Currently,  there are four teachers on the Whitnall School Forest Committee, one from each school building: Dee Schroeder (Edgerton Elementary), Jill Matusin (Hales Corners Elementary), Kelly Kempen (Whitnall Middle School), and Daniel Rathmann (Whitnall High School). With guidance from the City of Greenfield Forester, Dennis Fermenich, and the Department of Natural Resources Forester, Mike Seager (who is a Whitnall alumnus!), the school forest committee has focused on reforestation and enhancing the outdoor learning areas.

This year, the Whitnall School Forest Committee was awarded a $41,000 grant from the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD), as part of a larger grant for the City of Greenfield, to help manage the flow of water in the forest. In recent years, the development of subdivisions nearby has changed the amount of water moving through the forest. The water runoff has impacted Cattail Creek, trails, and other low lying areas of the forest. To remedy this, gravel pathways and culverts have been added to divert the water. This summer, as a result of the grant, more invasive and hazardous trees were removed, and a variety of 250 native trees were planted. Some of the new tree species are linden, hawthorn, sugar maple, red and white oak, birch, hickory, aspen, tamarack, and dogwood. There are some fenced-in areas with smaller trees. These areas are called "tree nurseries." The fences deter deer from snacking on the leaves so the smaller trees have a chance to grow. Now that the trees have been planted, the Whitnall School Forest Committee has been working all summer to clear the areas around the trees and make sure they are watered. The combination of tree removals and tree planting has resulted in a beautiful and noticeable difference!

Another change you will notice if you visit the forest is that there are new trail signs! The Whitnall School Forest Committee collaborated with Whitnall Middle School’s Technical Education Teacher James Ricchio and his students to construct the new signage. Many of the signs have been posted, and the remaining signage will be completed once the school year begins. 

We encourage you to visit the Whitnall School Forest and see for yourself all of the phenomenal work that has been done this summer. As John Muir once said, “In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.”

This spring another large pollinator garden was added to the forest along Wildflower path. The garden was planted by the fourth grade classes at Edgerton Elementary. This garden will add habitat for many species of pollinators, like bees and butterflies. The plants selected for these gardens are Wisconsin native plants, like Purple and Yellow Coneflower, Cardinal flower, Joe Pye weed, Blazing star, and a variety of Milkweed.  The pollinator gardens will be another great resource for all students to learn about pollination, life cycles, plants and more.  

Along with the pollinator garden, new understory shrubs and trees were planted to increase species diversity in the forest. These trees and shrubs will also provide food and shelter for forest animals, like birds, insects and squirrels. Here are the trees and shrubs we planted this year: Linden, Musclewood, Ninebark, Serviceberry, Red-twigged dogwood and cedar.

Whitnall School Forest 2022-23 Presentation

FOREST IN ACTION

The forest is a very active place in the summer for people and wildlife! Forest maintenance is completed like watering new trees, tree/shrub trimming, and path improvements.  Summer school classes visited the forest.  Many students, staff members, and community members took walks and jogs, had picnics, played games, read books, and rode their bikes through the forest on a daily basis. The deer, birds, butterflies, rabbits, chipmunks and squirrels were frequently seen by keen observers. We hope everyone can find some time to enjoy the forest!

2022 SCHOOL FOREST EARTH DAY CLEAN-UP

We had our second Whitnall School Forest Earth Day Clean-Up! We had teachers, principals, families, former staff members, community members, and Boy Scouts all working together to make our forest an amazing place to learn. Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and energy! 

Earth Day Clean-up Presentation

GIRLS ON THE RUN COMMUNITY IMPACT PROJECT 

Edgerton Elementary third, fourth and fifth grade girls who participated in Girls on the Run this spring did their community service impact project at the Whitnall School Forest. The girls got a workout! They raked wood chips on the trails, put wood chips around the trees and cleaned up trash as they took a hike around the forest. Thank you for choosing to help make a difference in the forest!

FOURTH GRADE CLASSES STUDYING TREES

As part of the fourth grade life science unit, the students visit the forest in all seasons to study the structures of trees. They observe, photograph, take notes, and make sketches of their tree throughout the year.  They share their ideas and "wonderings" with their classmates. Every day in the forest is a great day for learning!

This spring two large pollinator gardens were added to the main learning area at the forest, Cerletty Circle!  The gardens were planted by the third grade classes at Edgerton Elementary. These gardens will enhance the forest ecosystem by adding habitat for many species of pollinators, like bees and butterflies.  The plants selected for these gardens are Wisconsin native plants, like Purple and Yellow Coneflower, Blazing star, Shooting star and Swamp milkweed and others.  The pollinator gardens will be a great resource for all students to learn about pollination, life cycles, plants and more.  

Along with the pollinator gardens, new understory shrubs and trees were planted around the stage which will provide food and shelter for the forest animals, like birds, insects and squirrels. We planted Serviceberry, Red-twigged dogwood and cedar.

Summer 2020 started off with some tree planting at the school forest. Seventeen trees were planted in the open areas that were cleared in spring. We planted 3 Red Oak, 2 White Oak, 3 Bur Oak, 4 American Sentry Linden and 5 Northern Catalpa. The tree installation was completed by Dan Larsen Landscaping. Keeping the trees watered this summer will require some heavy lifting.  Trimming, gravel work on our trails, and installing benches and standing tables are also part of the summer work. We are making progress slowly, but surely. Next school year, more trees and understory shrubs will be planted. Take a walk and check out our Whitnall School Forest!