May 7 minutes

[Thea]

MINUTES: MEETING OF THE MOUNTAIN VIEW BIODIVERSITY AD HOC COMMITTEE

WEDNESDAY, MAY 7
PRESENT: Thea, Nancy, David, Marn Yee
UNABLE TO ATTEND: Espe, Liz, Cheryl,

The first half was a talk by Justine Fenwell, from the Santa Clara
County Water District, about their plan for the Cuesta Flood Basin


The second half was a talk about the Bubb School Gardens by Paige
McDonald
Jim McKlosky is in charge of the buildings and grounds for the
schools, in MV. He was not cooperative with the parents desire to
take out a current garden and replace it with a butterfly garden at
Bubb school. SO this was done as a commando garden project. Teachers
and parents came in on a Saturday and Sunday and ripped out the old
garden, a pile of junipers, rototilled and then planted a butterfly
garden in the area.

There is also an Ohlone Native Plants Garden at the school. On the
Barbara St side of the school there are beds with edibles, and a
sprinkler system. The kids love gardening.

There are also worm composters.

There is a CA schools gardens grant, there is money available. All of
the MV schools applied together for this grant, and for some reason
Bubb was left out. There are 2 MV curriculum specialists for one year
covered by the grant. This is curriculum that will take the place of
current curriculum, not as an addition.

The following schools have gardens: Huff, Castro, Crittenden, and
Monte Loma. Theurcoff has a solar project and did not want to do a
garden at the present time.

The PTA is involved and there are Health Days with the garden food at
school.

This is an ongoing responsibility of the PTA and this makes it
sustainable.

Curriculum: the second graders study butterflies the third graders
study the Ohlone Indians, and native peoples. Edibles can include
herbs. There are ideas for a Colonial Garden for the 5th graders.
They can study food production and how people of a different time
lived.

Suggestions:

Speak with the superintendent and present a vision. This should be a
very comprehensive plant – include professionals with you who can do
all that they ask, include the school principle.

Use public lands in a better way; support the habitat in a way that is
not dependent on family’s organization, work and monies.

Switch over lawn area, one lawn at a time.

Please tell me if I have forgotten anything or need to make any
corrections. Thanks, Nancy