ECOS Program - The University of Montana

School	Project summary
Florence Carlton demonstration project Outdoor Classroom Brochure (pdf format)	Florence Carlton’s outdoor classroom (OC or the “Lyceum”) will see some big changes this year. The OC is a unique resource for the school, though it remains under-utilized and underdeveloped. This year’s ECOS team hopes to make the following improvements: 1) Construct a wheelchair accessible nature trail, (2) Develop inquiry-based nature stations along the trail, (3) Write discovery booklets for teachers (4) Develop Inquiry Binders, with relevant curriculum (5) Install an entrance kiosk with a trail map, basic safety information, recognition of community participants, and a short narrative of the history, purpose, and goals of the Lyceum, and (6) Implement aluminum plant identification signs. These improvements will insure use of the OC by the whole school and community.	Florence Carlton students building part of a nature trail in the outdoor classroom. Open spaces at the Florence Carleton outdoor classroom.
Hellgate K-8	As the newest school to the ECOS project, the Hellgate team has the challenge of starting a demonstration project from scratch. The project will consist of four learning centers, each focusing on a separate aspect of western Montana ecology which are aligned with the specialities of the fellows. The learning centers will include 1) a Native Medicinal Garden, 2) a Behavior Ecology Center, 3) an Insectary, and 4) a Rock Walk representing geological time. These learning centers will offer specific settings for inquiry lessons that will include diverse subjects, ranging from microbial studies on soils to plant form and function to rodent behavior to the geologic effect on macro-ecosystems.	Hellgate Elementary students work on their native medicinal garden. The Hellgate ECOS team installs signs for their rock walk
Lewis and Clark demonstration project Lewis and Clark Outdoor Discovery Core Flora (pdf format)	The goal of the ECOS team is to encourage every teacher to use their outdoor classroom to its full potential. To do that, fellows and students will identify and label plants in the Outdoor Discovery Core (Lewis and Clark’s outdoor classroom), produce a color, laminated tri-fold for students identifying the most common plants and a full length nature guide for teachers with all the plants in the outdoor classroom. In addition to providing a resource for every classroom, students will learn identification and observation skills and become acquainted with their schoolyard.	The Lewis and Clark ECOS team in the Outdoor Discovery Core
Target Range demonstration project	The 2004-2005 ECOS team and students at Target Range planted a beautiful native plant garden at the southern end of the schoolyard. The current ECOS team plans to continue this project by expanding the outdoor classroom to include a cottonwood grove adjacent to the garden. The team will clean up the grove, enhance it for wildlife habitat and stabilize it for safe use by teachers and students. Once improved, the grove will be a wonderfully shaded gathering place well suited for leading ecological inquiries and nature journaling. The team will also produce Ecology Field Kits that teachers and students can use for ecological inquiries.	Target Range students work on their native plant garden. The Target Range team calls in heavy equipment to help build the outdoor classroom.