Native Plants at Double Creek School

By L. and V. (2nd Graders at DC)

Native Plants are good to plant because they are native, which means they belong here. They help the environment because they can protect themselves naturally. They don't need fertilizer or bug spray. They don't have diseases. They don't need any watering or care when they are old enough. So they are environment friendly.

You should really plant the native plants because they make energy from the sun. Then, the native insects eat the native plants. Then the native bats eat the native insects. Then the native owl eats the native bat and then the native coyote eats the native owl. Because the whole ecosystem depends on native plants, it is stronger when you plant native plants.

Native plants also protect our native bee colonies. Bees bring the nectar back to their beehive to make into honey for the rest of the bees. They can use the pollen to go from apple tree to apple tree and then they will pollinate trees and make food for us. So native plants help us get food by supporting bees.

Native Plants we are planting at Double Creek School

Large-leaved Lupine

Large-leaved Lupines like wet soil, moist soil or dry soil. Large-leaved Lupine spreads by reseeding.

Large Leaf Lupine

Bleeding Heart

Bleeding Heart is a native plant.  It likes to grow in a partially shady and dry spot.  Bleeding hearts spread by seed.

Oregon Iris

Oregon Iris flowers come in many shades of purple, and also pink, yellow, and white with yellow detail. Irises bloom during the springtime part of their life cycle.  Oregon Irises grow in areas of wet to dry soil with full to partial sunlight.  They reproduce through seed and slow growing clumps of bulbs.

Oregon Iris

Invasive Plants on the Double Creek Property, by our 2nd graders

Invasive plants are bad plants.  Native plants are good ones.

Invasive plants slowly destroy the native plants by taking the native plant's sunlight and water.

English Ivy

English ivy is an invasive plant.  It grows anywhere- sun or shade.  It will grow on the ground or climb trees.

They reproduce by making berries that birds and squirrels eat.  The animals poop out the seeds.  Then, the next year the ivy sprouts start where they pooped sometimes.  They also have long vines that grow roots wherever it touches the ground.

You pull it out of the ground to remove it, including the roots.

Even though it's green and pretty, ivy is bad for trees and native plants and animals.

By V., grade 2 at Double Creek School

English Holly

English Holly

Holly is bad because it is invasive.  It's pokey.

If you want to get rid of it, then in winter or spring cut it down with a chainsaw.  Wear protective clothes when you cut it down so you don't get poked. Then, dig up the roots.

Holly grows in the shade.  Birds eat the berries.  Holly reseeds easily.

By L., grade 2 at Double Creek School

Morning Glory

Even though the high growing Morning Glory has beautiful flowers, it is bad for the environment.

Morning Glory only blooms in the morning, and that's why it's called the Morning Glory. 

They reproduce by seeds and spread a lot.

Morning Glory

Tulip Festival

We headed to Woodburn, Oregon for the tulip festival. 

We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather!

It is hard to camouflage yourself amongst the tulips, but it is fun to try. 

Enjoying a hayride (and protesting a photo).

This beautiful nest with 3 new babies was nestled in a rhododendron.

Nothing like ducky races with friends on a sunny afternoon

Fort Vancouver

As part of our Oregon history course we have been studying what brought Europeans to the Oregon territory and how the different cultural groups interacted. A visit to the Fort Vancouver Living History Museum helped them better understand what life was like here in the first half of the 19th century.

One of the blacksmiths enjoyed talking to the children and had M help demonstrate the spring trap. Everyone jumped as it snapped shut!

Before our trip we made hard tack, or sea biscuits. They are made by blending flour and water and baking until they are dry and hard as a rock. Nothing like a little first hand experience to understand why these were important food rations, but not a favorite dish (or why they were sometimes called "molar breakers"). 

The Indian trade shop highlighted all the items you could purchase with beaver pelts. The clothes may not have fit well, but the famous Hudson Bay blankets, as well as glass and metal items which the Native Americans had yet to produce, were trade worthy.  

The Chief Factor's beautiful European style mansion seemed very out of place in the "rustic" area.

Part of our crew by the cannons

The historical gardens are beautiful

Enjoying the beautiful weather

Sun spots

Kids and dogs alike enjoy soaking in the spring sun at school. Our skylights provide great sunny spots for reading or a back warming break. There have been many conversations about the movement of the sunny spots with the time of day and season. Yes, perhaps one day the carpet will be made into a giant sun dial. No, we can't move the couch hourly so it stays in the sun. (They have tried.)

A moment of goofiness

Practically Twins

Everyone at Double Creek has his or her own sense of style, and individual expression is something we value and encourage. However, sometimes matching (by accident or careful planning) is a lot of fun! Of course, the kids want us to take a picture to immortalize the moment.

When two moms buy the same dress you must take advantage.

Coordinating in lovely stripes- a happy accident

When everyone is thinking pink

It even happens to the teachers.

The birthday girl picked mom's clothes for the occasion.