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IPM Part of Elementary School Project - October 2001

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - From planting and harvesting to making their food, third and fourth grade students were able to participate in every aspect of establishing a bio-intensive garden at their school in State College, Pa.

Penn State's Center for Sustainability got involved in the project at Radio Park Elementary School at its inception, according to Laura Silver, who does outreach education for the center. "A teacher at the school contacted us asking for help in meeting Pennsylvania's proposed Academic Standards on Environment and Ecology," says Silver. "We came up with the idea of establishing a bio-intensive garden to satisfy the integrated pest management (IPM) component of the standards."

IPM aims to control pests -- such as insects, diseases, weeds and animals -- by combining physical, biological and chemical tactics that are safe and environmentally compatible.

Silver first consulted with Lyn Garling, Education Specialist with the Pennsylvania IPM Program at Penn State, for ideas and information on IPM. Silver also referred to a number of the program's publications and the extensive amount of information on school IPM on their web site at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu.

To begin the project, the Center for Sustainability suggested observing ladybugs. The students released convergent lady beetles, a beneficial insect, after raising the larvae and observing the metamorphosis into a beetle. Center volunteers then helped the students sow seed flats and set up three vegetable beds.

The students planted vegetables and companion plants in 3'x10' plot, a size that enabled the students to comfortably reach the middle of the bed. "You never want to step on the soil, because you don't want to compact it," says Dr. Tania Slawecki, Project Director of the Center for Sustainability.

The students used various components of IPM in planting the vegetable beds, including companion planting, choosing hardy varieties that would attract beneficial insects, composting, and using natural and biological pest control. "We emphasized using nature's tools to restore biodiversity of the ecosystem," explains Silver.

In an IPM workshop, the center also established the five "R's" that were taught to the students:

Restore biodiversity
Release beneficials
Repel pests through good plant selection
Restrict by using physical controls
Remove pests by hand
The Center also used such kid-friendly props as stuffed animals to explain how animals such as bats, birds, skunks and snakes are predators of pests.

In addition to the three vegetable beds, the students also planted an "IPM" bed. They grew fragrant plants such as basil and lavender, which attract beneficials and discourage pests. Once it was time to harvest, the students made salads, pesto sauce and salsa. "It was a great, hands-on learning experience for the kids and it emphasized how everything can be done by hand using no fossil fuels. The kids got to be involved in planting, watering, weeding, harvesting and composting," explains Silver.

This fall the students prepared the garden for winter, planting cold weather crops on one bed and cover crops on the rest. To help with this effort, Penn State Master Gardner Dr. Jack Purnell shared his expertise in a talk about cover crops and composting.

Silver says the pilot project is an ongoing one. "We would like to put in border gardens that would better attract beneficial insects," she says. The Center would also like to replicate the program throughout the State College Area School District in the future, but it will depend on funding. "The project this year existed solely on donations and volunteer time, for which we are very grateful," says Silver.

The Center also has plans to expand the project to older students. "We'd like to have a season-extended garden and more food preparation for the older students," Slawecki explains. This year, three third grade classes and one fourth grade class participated in the program.

For more information on the program, contact Silver at (814) 865-2224. You can also contact Slawecki at (814) 865-7928 or email tms9@psu.edu.