On a recent trip to the NPG, City naturalist Paul Mutch assisted in the identification of species between Munroe and Kimberley. The following is the list of these species.


Native species:
Andropogon gerardii - Big bluestem - most common
Andropogon scoparius - Little bluestem – most common
Asclepias verticillata - Whorled milkweed
Rosa spp. - Rose (prairie rose)
Hordeum jubatum - Foxtail barley
Potentilla norvegica - Rough cinquefoil – closer to trail
Spartina pectinata - Prairie cord grass
Symphoricarpos occidentalis - Western snowberry - shrub
Stipa viridula - Green needle grass
Non-indigenous
Bromus inermis - Smooth brome – very abundant
Agropyron repens - Quackgrass - very abundant
Cirsium arvense - Canada thistle - and other thistle species
Lolium perenne - Perennial rye grass, Common darnel
Taraxacum officinale - Dandelion
Rumex crispus - Curled dock
Vicia cracca - Tufted vetch – pull this
Trifolium pratense - Red clover
Linaria vulgaris - Butter-and-eggs – pull this
Medicago lupulina - Black medick - pull this develops clusters of black seeds
Medicago sativa - Alfalfa
Phalaris arundinacea - Reed canary grass – very invasive
Polygonum spp. - Smartweed

Field Trip to Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve

The ultimate goal of this project is to create a model mini Biosphere. In order to do this, the students must understand the meaning of a Biosphere. To best understand the concept of the Biosphere we took a group of 15 students to visit Manitoba's only Biosphere Reserve at Riding Mountain National Park located in western Manitoba. Onanole Elementary School - another UNESCO school - was kind enough to host our visit to the Riding Mountain Biosphere Reserve.





While in Riding Mountain we stayed at Camp Wannakumbac. We took in presentations from the Executive Director of this Biosphere Reserve - Valerie Pankratz, followed a GPS Geo-cache course, toured various areas of the park and learned about the relationship the local communities have established with the Biosphere Reserve in order to be successful. Onanole Elementary even put on a 100 mile brunch, supplying a huge meal that was made exclusively with local products.





Students were able to truly appreciate the beauty of this reserve when a guide from Parks Canada led a caravan to the bison reserve. During this outing they spotted 2 Foxes, 1 bull Moose in rut, 4 Elk, a few Deer and many Plains Buffalo.Before trying their hand at calling moose and wolves, they visited remnant Tall Grass Prairie that transitions to Boreal and Deciduous forests. This prairie is currently roamed by a herd of plains bison. They learned of the relationship that exists between these animals and their habitat.







Not only did our students learn about the Biosphere Reserve, they also made connections with students who live within this area. Our students are excited to meet up with Onanole again and have already begun to plan their school's visit to Winnipeg and the NPG! Many thanks to the Canadian Commission for UNESCO for their support in making this partnership possible.

The following is a link to the photos from this excursion....more to come...

http://picasaweb.google.com/munroenpg/OneWithBiosphere#

Sowing seeds

The other day students from both 9D and 9E planted seeds in their designated plot. Seeds were counted and mixed with a small amount of soil. The soil was sprinkled evenly onto the ground after having pushed aside debris and grasses. Students completed the first part of their lab report. They will now research their plant, sow seeds in class this coming winter and return to the plot in the spring to see if their seeds were successful. Come spring, all students should have small native plants that can be re-introduced onto the NPG. At this time, they will also be able to identify non-native plants that can be removed by hand. These are small patches of the prairie, but it is a start and an authentic activity for students.

The Northeast Pioneer Greenway (NPG) is former rail line which has been turned into an active transportation corridor providing connectivity to the Forks and downtown area in the south. Future greenway expansion in the north will provide an important link to East St Paul and to Birds Hill Park.
During this past summer, the City left large portions of this trail uncut to help determine the extent of remnant tall grass prairie. Much to the surprise of many residents, many tall grass prairie species are still in the area, and many sections of the trail remain as pristine examples of tall grass prairie.
Due to urbanisation and agriculture, tall grass prairie is considered to be an even more endangered ecosystem than the rain forest. Of the original 6000 square kilometres of tall grass prairie in Manitoba, over 99% is now farmland.
Munroe is working to re-naturalize a portion of this of this Greenway, returning the area to its original tall grass prairie state. In doing so, we will follow guidelines set out to develop a model Biosphere (a natural area co-existing with encroaching urban development).
There is only one Canadian Biosphere Reserve in Manitoba, located at Riding Mountain National Park (Clear Lake). We intend to model this Biosphere in the naturalisation of Munroe’s designated portion the NPG.

Notre première visite au NPG. Les élèves ont mesuré des quadrants de 50cm x 50cm. À l'intérieur ils ont compté le montant de chaque type de plante et d'insecte. Une description de chaque objet vivant a été faite. Ils ont pris des exemples et sacs pour pouvoir faire l'identification et la recherche en classe. Plusieurs types de plantes et d'insectes ont été découverts. Cette identification est à venir dans le futur.