STUDENTS EXPLORE OUTDOOR CLASSROOM

BENTON -- Singing frogs have been seen in prominent television commercials and as a promotional figure for a network. But education consultant A.J. Hendershott is more excited about a rare frog species recently found near Kelly School.

The school district was recently awarded a $2,150 Show Me Conservation Outdoor Classroom grant from the Department of Conservation to develop an outdoor learning environment. Hendershott was part of a team from the department that heard the rare Illinois chorus frog singing during a tour of the outdoor classroom, which is in a five-acre wooded lot purchased by the district last year for expansion.

The frog is on the Missouri Watch List, which is a compilation of animals in Missouri in jeopardy of becoming extinct.

"I was very excited to see that Kelly was a recipient of one of the grants," Hendershott said. "This frog is not out very long, so when we came here and I heard it singing, I thought 'Oh, I can't believe this.' This frog's considered sort of an endangered species in Missouri."

Hendershott said the presence of the frog in the outdoor classroom will make the area unique from others being developed in the state. A natural sand prairie also situated in the area will make the classroom even more noteworthy, he said.

"There are hardly any sand prairies in Missouri at all, so its presence will make this a singular program in the state," he said. "This is a situation that was either left over from the Mississippi River or it's a leftover sand blow. I think this is going to be a fun challenge for everyone involved."

Teachers Sharyn Strack and Robert Goshe are coordinating the development of the classroom, which they said will probably be completed next summer. However, they said, a workshop will be held in the fall to show teachers how to use the area and incorporate it into all areas of learning.

The area will be available for use throughout the year.

"All of our teachers can use the area regardless of whether they teach language arts or geometry," said Strack. "The nicest thing about it is it's a really pleasant area to learn and teach in."

Students attending summer school are already working on several projects, including planting butterfly and geology gardens, mulching hiking trails, and finishing work on an amphitheater that will seat 60 to 90 people. Strack said teachers, students and members of the community are contributing to the development of the area.

"The summer school has incorporated conservation into some of the enrichment classes," she said. "The children are spending some time each day working on this classroom. They're doing it all. Our FFA students built the seats for the amphitheater. We've also had members of the community donating their labor and supplies to the project."

Strack said future projects could include construction of a weather station, special vegetation gardens, and possibly a pond. The district will consult with Hendershott throughout the year to develop the classroom, she said.

"This will be a learn-as-we-go kind of relationship," Hendershott said. "Development will be on-going because it doesn't just happen overnight. The department considers it an investment in conservation as well as in education."