As you may have read in one of our earlier blog posts, a “living classroom” is being created for Jenks Public Schools by Oklahoma Landscape. This outdoor classroom is in the process of being built near the Freshman Academy in Jenks, Oklahoma.

More than just a simple garden, this unique Tulsa landscape design will be an interactive outdoor space with a variety of features including rain barrels, Chimney Swift towers, butterfly gardens, granite trails, composts bins, a water feature, and more. Called the “Flycatcher Trail,” this classroom will help students learn how to manage a garden, plant vegetables, manage a landscape, and more.

As a Tulsa landscaping company, we know how inspiring working with nature can be, so this project will no doubt help students experience more creativity and discover the sense of pride that comes from caring for gardens.

What are some of the details of the landscaping project?

The entrance of the classroom will have rain barrels for capturing run-off storm water and compost bins for creating organic-rich compost to use for vegetables and plantings.

Granite trails will be made with decomposed granite. This abundant, permeable material makes a nice, natural trail. The decomposed granite adds color and compacts very well while not breaking down like mulch.

Chimney Swifts, which are a bird species that often nests and roosts in chimneys, are frequently identified by their gray silhouette, tiny body, and curving wings, but they also have a distinct style of flight and a chattering call, one author noted. They can quickly maneuver over rooftops and rivers to catch insects. Chimney Swifts spend most of their life in the air. When they do land, they can’t perch. They cling to vertical walls such as those in chimneys and those in hollow trees or caves. So, with the decline of chimney use in North America, also came the decline of the Chimney Swift.

Historically, they were abundant in North America, but by the late 1980s, the number of swifts migrating to North American from the Amazon River Basin had declined. A growing number of people across North America are now constructing nesting towers and are conducting Chimney Swift conservation projects in their own communities. Bird conservationists have a step-by-step guide to creating more habitats for the beneficial, insect-eating Chimney Swift. This living classroom will not only give Chimney Swifts a habitat, but will also give students a great opportunity to study these amazing birds.

Other features of the classroom will include a butterfly garden, a water feature, and split rail fencing. The butterfly garden is a specific space that utilizes butterfly-attracting plants, which produce flowers the butterflies are attracted to. These types of plants, like the butterfly bush, will attract a wide variety of butterflies to the garden that the teachers and students can use to view and study. The split rail fencing is a cedar post and rail project that will give a rustic, open, and natural appeal to the space.

This outdoor classroom will certainly give students a chance to take a closer look at nature and study all the beauty it holds. While the weather may have slightly delayed the project’s progress, Tulsa landscaping company Oklahoma Landscape – with the help of many other sub-contractors and suppliers who have also donated time, labor, and materials – will continue to plan and build this unique and exciting living classroom.