Discover School honored for study, service at Turnbull

The wild ways of local grade school kids caught the attention of Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne during his recent visit to Spokane.

Discovery School, a private preschool through sixth grade of about 130 students, has been awarded one of four U.S. Department of Interior 2006 Take Pride in America awards for outstanding school programs involving public lands, Kempthorne said.

Discovery School more than makes up for its lack of spacious grass playgrounds on its downtown campus by adopting wild lands to satisfy needs for fresh air and hands-on study. The Take Pride award recognizes the school’s on-going program at Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge.

For example, students from grades 2, 3 and 4 don’t just plant trees on the school’s adopted plot at the refuge. They measure, map, monitor and chronicle tree development and interaction with other plants and wildlife, said Lorna Kropp, Discovery’s library and technology teacher.

“The Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge experience provides a unique opportunity for Discovery School students to apply classroom skills in a real-world setting, while learning about our environment and providing a valuable service to our community in Spokane,” said Molly Zammit, Discovery’s fourth-grade teacher.

“We try to have a different focus every year, since each student will be involved for three years,” Kropp said.

Second-graders keyed in last year on the scientific skill of observation by monitoring and maintaining a trail of 12 bluebird nest boxes.

“They learned all about bluebirds and then became good observers and recorders of what they found in each box,” Kropp said. “We saw a rare happening of more than six eggs requiring more research by the students and teachers.

“We went every two weeks so the second grade could see the results of what they study about the lifecycle of birds and the third- and fourth-graders studied the interaction of habitats and wildlife,” she said.

While helping to restore Pine Creek as it runs through the refuge, the students have planted dogwoods, willows, aspens and hawthorns. Their labor is followed by a range of study that lets a natural curiosity in nature spur lessons in math, science, reading and writing.

Refuge visitors can see some of the studies in progress on the triangle of land Discovery has adopted for riparian restoration near the headquarters and the start to the auto tour loop road.

In May the students and their families participated in the tree-planting day at the refuge and organized a bake sale at the school to raise funds for feeding other volunteers that show up for the annual event. Several other groups donate time and labor at the refuge, staffers said.

This year’s national Take Pride winners were selected from nominations representing individuals, groups and projects in 32 states. The projects are judged by employees from Interior agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management. The projects are scored on the scope of their work, the measurable impact of their results and their collaborative partnership.

“It is through their stewardship that they are creating a lasting legacy within their community,” Kempthorne said in announcing the award.

About 40 Discovery students, parents and teachers plan to travel to Washington, D.C. to accept the Take Pride award in September.