Westwood: Nature Center 2010

Nature Center 2010

HISTORY: In 1995, a 4th grade teacher designed and built a small butterfly garden for the students of Westwood Elementary. She decided to plant native wildflowers to attract butterflies for the students to observe. Each class was designated a certain area to plant and maintain throughout the school year. The butterfly garden was a success!

The teacher decided that the students needed a larger place to interact with their environment. They began visiting different school campuses with school yard habitats. With each visit, the desire for a nature center grew and grew.

Our students are concerned about the environment. After all, it is their future. Also, learning about the environment should begin close to home. The Friendswood ISD Nature Center will provide students with an official project in which they can play an active role to protect the environment in partnership with the community in which the students live.

The Friendswood I.S.D. Nature Center is located on the south side of Westwood Elementary School. The Learning Center provides an area that is hospitable to native plants and animal wildlife. Students learn that through thoughtful site planning, humans and nature can co-exist.

The Friendswood I.S.D. Nature Center unites the school and the community as it provides learning opportunities for community organizations such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America. Our goal is that the outdoor learning center can truly belong to all of Friendswood.

Growing Happiness

Gardening is a fulfilling and relaxing hobby for many people. Working in the soil and growing plants is a wonderful way to get in touch with nature - and yourself. There are many types of gardening; you can grow flowers or edible plants like fruits, vegetables, and herbs. You can design a garden that stretches across your entire yard or one small enough to fit in a container. No matter the type of garden you decide to grow, becoming a horticulturist (someone who gardens) has been shown to have many healthy benefits. Some of these rewards are:

1. Physical Health - gardening combines three types of physical activity: strength, endurance, and flexibility. And gardening is great exercise for people of all fitness levels. Researchers estimate that light gardening duties burn an average of 300 calories per hour and heavy yard work can burn more than 600 calories per hour.

2. Mental health - gardening is good for your body and your mind. Not only does gardening reduce stress and lower blood pressure, studies have shown that since gardening stimulates the mind, it may help to prevent Alzheimer's disease.

3. Emotional health - you earn a sense of accomplishment from planting a seed and watching it grow. It can be hard work and gardening requires dedication, but seeing that work come to fruition is an achievement that can increase self-esteem and confidence.

4. Environmental health - of course, caring for the soil and tending to plants is also good for the Earth. It prevents erosion, replaces nutrients, and helps to develop a bond with nature that leads to environmentally-friendly practices in other area of your life.

So why not start a garden with your child(ren)? Or come on by to Westwood and volunteer in our nature center. Either way, it looks as though you'll be cultivating some happiness.