School Nursery Program

School Nursery Program

Are you a teacher or student looking to bring a unique opportunity to your school? Nominate your school for our School Nursery Program! The Pontchartrain Conservancy is currently seeking applications from title one middle or high schools in St. Charles and St. Bernard Parishes. If selected, your students will get the chance to participate in the restoration of their coastline by maintaining a cypress nursery on school grounds. The goal of this nursery is to provide students and teachers with an interactive learning tool that facilitates experiential learning and fosters a spirit of environmental stewardship.

What to Expect:

Starting in Fall of 2022, Pontchartrain Conservancy will install the nursery on school grounds. This nursery, roughly 4 ft x 30 ft, will contain up to 300 potted bald cypress seedlings. The nursery will function as an above-ground pond constructed from cinder blocks and pond liner. The potted trees rest in shallow water, eliminating the need for daily watering while keeping the trees hydrated. Pontchartrain Conservancy will provide all materials needed to construct and maintain the nursery. Participating students and teachers will be responsible for weeding the pots and refilling the pond with fresh water as needed.

Pontchartrain Conservancy will provide free educational resources (lesson plans, lab ideas, local case studies) to science teachers interested in integrating local environmental issues and the nursery into their lesson plans. If you would like to browse some of these resources, visit the links below:

PC – Professional Development Resources for Teachers

PC – Curriculum Collection

Common Ground – Developing Environmental Stewards Curriculum

Lessons on the Lake

After one year of nurturing in the nursery, Pontchartrain Conservancy will host a school field trip to one of our targeted restoration sites where students will participate in a swamp tree planting. Our goal is to facilitate a hands on restoration experience and foster students’ sense of ownership over the health of their coastal ecosystems.

If you are interested in nominating your middle or high school for this program, please fill out the short application below!

School Nursery Application

Your Name(Required)

Name of School(Required)

School Address(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Phone(Required)

Email(Required)

Why are you interested in participating in our school nursery program?

Do you have space on school grounds for a 4ft x 30ft nursery? How far is the closest water spigot?

Do you have a science teacher or faculty member who is willing to take on a leadership role in maintaining the nursery? This staff member would organize and lead students in weeding pots and filling the pond.