Click on the pictures to see a bigger view
Click on the pictures to see a bigger view A school wetland education center, possible the first in the state, is taking off at the new Nutter Fort Elementary School Jan Corrin is heading up the project. The project was conceived when it was discovered that a wet area existed behind the new school with the woods beyond, a "natural" for a nature trail. When all is finished the visitor will find "The Times-Mirror Pavilion" beyond the parking lot and farther back, a wetland of perhaps half an acre. The wet area will contain an observation deck and a boardwalk across the area to the edge of the woods. The "Ronald McDonald Trail will wind through the trees interrupted only by two cleared areas suitable for ourdoor classrooms. Halves of logs will be the seats. One area will accommodate one class, the other, two classes. The trees in the woods are of mixed varieties. They will eventually be labeled and make up a kind of arboretum. Between the Nutter Fort Elementary School and the new Robert C. Byrd High School would be a good place to extend the trail so that one can hike from one school the other. There are several types of areas around the school, ecologically speaking. Some sport natural vegetation, some which were disturded are beginning to grow back naturally and others will be the recipient of introduced native plants. These contrasts will be interesting for the students to study, as well as the water scene and the role of plants in filtering and cleaning water. Already evident in the area are deer, a variety of song birds, frogs and other amphibians and reptiles, as well as mallard ducks. To enhance their envirnment, the club has dredged a small area of the wetlands to make it into a "minnow" pond. The Wetland Education Enter is accessible to those in wheelchairs. Backing the effort are the school board and faculty of the school. So far, all the labor has been provided by the board and members of Turkey Federation of W.Va.
This page maintained by Terry Morrison tmorrison@access.k12.wv.us
& Mary Sue Witt mwitt@access.k12.wv.us
Nutter Fort Elementary School 1996