Fairview received a Schoolyard Stewardship Mini-Grant from FCPS to turn the courtyard between the library and the reading center into a ‘Winter Bird Garden’. There was already a flowering dogwood in the courtyard, which has been known to be visited on more than one occasion by bluebirds. Students planted bushes native to Northern Virginia including Winterberry Holly and Red and Black Chokeberry. These bushes have berries that persist into winter and provide an important food source for local birds. We still have to plant Little Bluestem and Broomsedge, tall native grasses that will provide seeds and cover, plus a couple native honeysuckle vines that might attract a few pollinators. The kids were asking great questions about why we were planting what we were planting, and I heard more than one “gardening is fun!”.
Thank you to FCPS for awarding Fairview this grant, and thank you to Lisa Bright at Earth Sangha native plant nursery for her advice on plant selection.
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