Outdoor Learning at its Best
By Sue Gallo, Sixth Grade Science and Bible Teacher
On the first cool day of the school year, we were blessed to have class in Liberty’s outdoor learning area with guest biologist Travis Gallo. Gallo, a 2001 Liberty alumnus who works for the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, was in town on a seminar tour and spent the day teaching our students.
Gallo is the program coordinator and researcher for “The Invaders of Texas Citizen Science Program,” an innovative campaign where volunteer “citizen scientists” are trained to detect the arrival and dispersal of invasive plants. These plants can grow quickly and aggressively, spreading and displacing other plants that can hurt vegetation.
I told him that our sixth graders had been learning about all of the wonderful plants that God created for us and how important they are in our everyday lives. He suggested I take the students to the outdoor learning area where they could see pollination firsthand. Gallo brought many samples of different native grasses, explaining to students how God designed grass seeds to spread and their importance in our prairies.
Gallo also designed the Ian Key memorial garden for us last year, and the class of 2016 planted it; the garden was a beautiful sight.
The design of Liberty’s garden is such that a butterfly can spend its entire lifecycle in the garden. We were able to see hundreds of butterflies flying from flower to flower, getting pollen all over them while they loaded up on nectar. As Gallo explained, the butterflies were preparing for their migration to Mexico.
It was so great learning about God’s creation while enjoying it firsthand. I want to encourage everyone to go see our gardens and enjoy the beauty of God’s hand.