Sauk Prairie High School will cultivate native prairie plants

Imperiled insect pollinators and monarch butterflies will get some help from high school students this year.      Sand County Foundation is awarding pollinator habitat grants to agriculture and science programs at 21 high schools in Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Each school district or FFA chapter will receive prairie seeds and seedlings, a consultation, and $1,000 to support project expenses. The selected schools include Sauk Prairie High School. “Students will germinate and grow native plants in late winter, and plant them outside in the spring as an experiential learning opportunity,” said Haley Diem, Sand County Foundation school grant program coordinator. “Insect pollinators are essential for crop pollination and ecological diversity. In recent years their numbers are low partly due to loss of native wildflower habitat, especially in the agricultural landscape,” Diem explained. “We encourage applicants to partner with landowners to establish pollinator habitat on agricultural and other working lands.” Pollinator habitat grant program sponsors include: Syngenta, Enel North America, Monarch Joint Venture, U.S. Forest Service International Programs, Wisconsin Public Service Foundation, and We Energies Foundation. Educators and landowners interested in becoming involved in the project are encouraged to contact Haley Diem at hdiem@sandcountyfoundation.org for more information. In addition to the grant program, all teachers can access a Pollinator Habitat Curriculum Guide developed through a partnership between Sand County Foundation and Earth Partnership at the University of Wisconsin. The guide’s 28 activities, aligned with state and national education standards, engage students in planning, establishing, managing, and monitoring prairie habitat for insect pollinators and grassland birds. The guide is available for free download at https://bit.ly/2JHdq1u. Sand County Foundation is a national non-profit that champions voluntary conservation practices by farmers, ranchers, and forestland owners to improve soil, water, and wildlife habitat.