The Mighty Jacket Garden
The garden is 200 sq ft of pollinator habitat located on the grounds of Carter Lake Elementary School in Carter Lake, Iowa. All 220 Midwest native forbs and grasses were planted by the fourth grade classes. The garden is the first Monarch Waystation registered in Carter Lake and features vital pollinator nectar and host plants, including milkweeds (Asclepias spp.), asters (Symphyotrichum spp.) , goldenrods (Solidago spp., Oligoneuron sp.), beardtongues (Penstemon spp.), coneflowers (Echinacea spp., Ratibida spp., Rudbeckia spp.), sedges (Carex spp.), and grasses (Bouteloua spp, Elymus spp., Schizachyrium sp.). The plant selection includes many spring and fall blooming plants to maximize student engagement and learning opportunities.
The garden was made possible by funding from the Jewish Foundation of Omaha, Men's Garden Club, and Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and by volunteers from Milkweed Matters, Pottawattamie County Conservation District, and Pottawattamie Soil and Water Conservation District. Twelve trees were provided and planted throughout school grounds by Council Bluffs Trees Forever.
