PHWS Hands-on Projects

2017 School Projects

Potomac Headwaters Leaders of Watersheds continues to engage with students to teach key environmental practices for future stewards. Students and teachers are able to combat stormwater pollution with native tree propagation and pollinator gardens.

Wildwood Middle School Grow a Garden

Riverheads Elementary Growing Native

Spring 2016 School Projects
Grow a Garden Grow-a-Garden helps students discover the connections between land use practices and the health of rivers. Students control stormwater runoff by constructing rain gardens or installing rain barrels or cisterns. Elk Garden Primary Fountain Primary Keyser Middle Mountain Ridge Middle Shepherdstown Middle Springfield Middle Widmyer Elementary
Growing Native Growing Native focuses on the structure and importance of native trees within our rural and urban landscapes. Students planted tree seedlings for continued growth in Grow-Out Stations. Orchard View Intermediate VA Growing Native
Plant a Tree The Plant-a-Tree program teaches the overall importance of trees within our ecosystem. Students plant native trees at their school that increase the aesthetic value at the school but also provide shade, increase wildlife habitat, and capture stormwater runoff pollution. Daniel Morgan Middle Page Jackson Elementary
Adult Programs Claud E. Kitchens Outdoor School at Fairview

Fall 2015 School Projects
Grow a Garden Grow-a-Garden helps students discover the connections between land use practices and the health of rivers. Students control stormwater runoff by constructing rain gardens or installing rain barrels or cisterns. Capon Bridge Middle School
Growing Native Growing Native focuses on the structure and importance of native trees within our rural and urban landscapes. Students planted tree seedlings for continued growth in Grow-Out Stations. Eagle School Potomac Valley Audubon Orchard View Intermediate School Riverheads Elementary
Plant a Tree The Plant-a-Tree program teaches the overall importance of trees within our ecosystem. Students plant native trees at their school that increase the aesthetic value at the school but also provide shade, increase wildlife habitat, and capture stormwater runoff pollution. Linville Edom Elementary Slanesville Elementary Warm Springs Elementary

Spring 2015 School Projects

Grow a Garden

Grow-a-Garden helps students discover the connections between land use practices and the health of rivers. Students control stormwater runoff by constructing rain gardens or installing rain barrels or cisterns.

Blue Ridge Elementary

Harpers Ferry Middle

Moorefield Elementary

Growing Native

Growing Native focuses on the structure and importance of native trees within our rural and urban landscapes. Students planted tree seedlings for continued growth in Grow-Out Stations.

Boonsboro Elementary

Driswood Elementary

North Jefferson Elementary

Orchard View Intermediate

Paw Paw School

Pleasant Valley Elementary

South Jefferson Elementary

Shepherdstown Elementary

Warm Springs Intermediate

Plant a Tree

The Plant-a-Tree program teaches the overall importance of trees within our ecosystem. Students plant native trees at their school that increase the aesthetic value at the school but also provide shade, increase wildlife habitat, and capture stormwater runoff pollution.

Cub Run Elementary

Winchester Academy

Fall 2014 School Projects

Rain Garden & Cistern Installation

Charles Town Middle School, Charles Town, WV

Science Club members convert a barren landscape riddled with flooding issues into a beautiful rain garden that captures stormwater and adds aesthetic value to the student entryway.

Growing Native

Students from Eagle School, Ranson Elementary, Riverheads Elementary, and Saint Joseph Parish took part in Growing Native. Growing Native focuses on the importance of native trees in the health of our watersheds and rivers, tree structure, and planting of native tree seeds in Grow-Out Stations at the school.

Spring 2014 School Projects
Rain Garden Maintenance Capon Bridge Middle School, Capon Bridge, WV Science Club students removed weeds, installed new plants, mulched, and watered the school’s existing rain garden.
Cistern Installation & Tree Planting to Enhance Wildlife Area Charles Town Middle School, Charles Town, WV Science Club students tackle stormwater at their school through the installation of a 250 gallon cistern and planting shrubs along with native flowers near existing bird boxes on the school grounds.
Rain Garden North Jefferson Elementary School, Kearneysville, WV In a five week long education and rain garden installation program the 4^th and 5^th grade classes focused on pollution issues in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed and their local watershed. Leading students to discovered the positive impact they could make at their school for their local watershed and ultimately the Chesapeake Bay.
Raised Vegetable Beds Petersburg Elementary School, Petersburg, WV The 5^th grade class continued the plans for the school’s outdoor classroom with four raised garden beds. The students researched plants that can be used in the school cafeteria and made scale drawings of the raised beds. Over two consecutive school days, 98 students assembled the soil and installed different plants and seeds of various vegetable, herbs, and pumpkins species in the raised beds. Students were not shy to get their hands dirty and participate.
Tree Planting and Wetland Enhancement Shepherdstown Elementary School, Shepherdstown, WV The 3^rd and 4^th grade classes planted six shrub trees and 79 native plants in their new outdoor learning space and wetland area. Students participated in an education program about their local watershed, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, and the importance of not polluting our rivers and streams.
Rain Garden and Tree Planting Slanesville Elementary School, Slanesville, WV First grade students at Slanesville Elementary School spent the end of the school day on Monday, May 12^th planting 75 native flowering plants and 6 native trees on their playground. Students participated in an hour long education class as a preparation for the planting. Students learned the parts of a tree and flower additionally they made observation about the trunk of a tree using tree cookies. Students were enthusiastic to participate in both activities.
Rain Garden South Jefferson Elementary School, Charles Town, WV Student’s grades 3^rd through 5^th worked together to plant 120 native plant species, one sugar maple tree, and a pin oak tree on their school grounds. The rain garden plant species were selected to continue the school’s theme of West Virginia. South Jefferson students have been learning important facts and historical information of West Virginia throughout the year. Teachers and students alike plan to use to the rain garden space as an outdoor learning lab in the coming school years; the key theme of West Virginia will play a key role in the education materials.
Rain Garden and Tree Maintenance Spring Mills Middle School, Spring Mills, WV The Girl Scout Troop conducted maintenance on their local rain garden.
Rain Garden and Tree Plantings Maintenance Wildwood Middle School, Shenandoah Junction, WV The 7^th and 8^th grade students take part in the maintenance of the school’s rain garden and WV Project CommuniTree fall planting. Maintenance needs for the rain garden included removal of weeds, planting additional plants, and adding a new lay of mulch. The trees required the addition of mulch.
Washington County, Maryland- Rain Garden Projects Cacapon Institute partnered with the Potomac Valley Audubon Society to help with the installation of six rain gardens at Elementary Schools in Washington County, Maryland. Rain Gardens were installed at Boonsboro, Fountain Rock, Greenbrier, Lincolnshire, Pleasant Valley, and Sharpsburg Elementary Schools.

Spring 2013 School Projects
Rain Garden, Tree Planting, Native Grasses Capon Bridge Middle School, Capon Bridge, WV Environmental Club students and lead teacher, Linda Mowery, spent two workdays installing a rain garden, planting 14 trees, and replanting an eroded area with 48 native grasses that were grown from seed in the classroom. These projects beautified the campus and reduced stormwater runoff from their school.
Rain Garden Mill Creek Intermediate, Inwood, WV Kelly Rutherford and Emilie Gosnell’s 5^th grade students worked to plant 72 native plant species in a 120 square foot rain garden. The rain garden is capturing runoff from the teacher parking and the school bus gas station. The rain garden will block the view of the gas station from the surrounding baseball fields.
Rain Garden Mountain Ridge Intermediate School, WV Beth LeGrand, lead teacher, had 27 students from the 5^th grade class participate in planting native plants in a 120 square foot rain garden located outside the art classroom. The art classes will use the native plants in drawing exercises along with science classes studying the different parts of the flower.
Living Sign Musselman High School, Inwood, WV Students from the W.E.T Club designed and installed a living sign on the hill near the soccer field. The sign was constructed with blue rug junipers spelling “MHS”. This living sign helps to decrease stormwater runoff from the soccer field while evoking school spirit.
Rain Garden Maintenance Paw Paw Schools, Paw Paw, WV Science students from Carol Coryea’s classes worked together to provide maintenance on the large 350 square foot rain garden installed spring of 2012. Maintenance included removal of weeds, creating a rock outline of the rain garden, planting additional native plants, and mulching the whole area.
Rain Garden Petersburg Elementary School, Petersburg, WV The 5^th grade class at Petersburg Elementary School designed and installed a 300 square foot rain garden on the school grounds. Lead teacher, Julie Colaw, presented the idea to convert a rarely used outdoor corridor into an outdoor classroom to be used by the entire school.
Rain Garden and Tree Planting Wildwood Middle School, Shenandoah Junction, WV Lead teacher, Caroline Moffat, engaged her 7^th grade honors science class in planning and installing a 135 square foot rain garden. Students planted the rain garden in a low laying area below the visitor’s parking lot; this area is capturing stormwater runoff from the parking lot and was highly saturated for days following a rainstorm. Students also planted 3 trees near the rain garden to help capture additional water and rainfall.
Spring 2012 School Projects
Rain Garden Spring Mills Middle School, Spring Mills, WV At Spring Mills Middle School, 22 kids from the Science Club and their science teacher, Michelle Adams, planned, designed and executed a 500 square foot rain garden as one of three hands-on, project based learning restoration projects.
Tree Planting and other BMPs Spring Mills Middle School, Spring Mills, WV At Spring Mills Middle School, 22 kids from the Science Club and their science teacher, Michelle Adams, planted 12 large ball and burlap trees, and planted a 1000 square foot area with wildflower seeds through Cacapon Institute’s Potomac Headwaters Leaders of Watersheds program.
Rain Garden and Education Tomahawk Intermediate School, Hedgesville, WV On April 15^th and 16^th 2012, Tomahawk Intermediate School in Hedgesville, WV involved the entire 3^rd grade in watershed restoration projects and community outreach. Cacapon Institute (CI) spearheaded a student-led project to design and install a 37 foot by 8 foot raised bed rain garden, a similarly sized wildflower seed planting, an informative billboard, educational posters and flyers, interpretive signs, and three decorated rain barrels.
Rain Barrels Tomahawk Intermediate School, Hedgesville, WV On April 15^th and 16^th 2012, Tomahawk Intermediate School in Hedgesville, WV involved the entire 3^rd grade in watershed restoration projects and community outreach. Cacapon Institute (CI) spearheaded a student-led project to design and install three rain barrels to capture roof runoff and use it to water a 37 foot by 8 foot raised bed rain garden and a similarly sized wildflower seed planting.
Williamsport Butterfly Garden Williamsport Elementary School, Williamsport, MD Williamsport Elementary School is a Maryland Certified Green School with a Green Club led by Teacher Heidi Strite. On April 25^th, 2012 Cacapon Institute helped 20 students plant a high visibility butterfly garden in the front of the school.
Three-tiered Rain Garden Installation Musselman High School, Inwood, WV On April 20^th, 2012, students from the W.E.T. Club (Watershed Environmental Team) and lead teacher Deb Stevens installed a three tiered rain garden and other Best Management Practices surrounding the band field.
Rain Garden Paw Paw School, Paw Paw, WV Students design and construct a new rain garden, this time to detain water flowing through a grassy area.
Tree Planting Hancock Junior Senior High School, Hancock, MD Hancock Junior/Senior High is working to become a Maryland Green School. students surveyed their school grounds looking for sites that could potentially be improved to reduce the impact of stormwater runoff pollution. They selected a hill out back that had eroding areas and no trees at all for their first tree planting. The students plan to earn Student Service Learning credits watering the trees all summer. They are already making plans to plant more trees, maybe even build a rain garden, next school year.
Tree Identification Field Trip Harrisonburg City Schools, Harrisonburg, VA Harrisonburg City Schools has an annual Water Day Field Trip for between 150 and 200 middle school students take a trip to the Shenandoah River. There the students investigate aquatic life, learn about water use, talk about the importance of riparian buffers, and raft on the Shenandoah. Many students use CI’s eSchool to prepare for the trip. The Benthic Macro Invertebrate Portal is a favorite with the teachers. Andy Jackson, Harrisonburg City Schools Science Director, first invited Cacapon Institute to participate in 2009. Each year one or two CI staffers help with stream sampling and/or the tree identification station.
2011 School Projects
Wetland Enhancement Musselman High School, Inwood, WV CI's Ben Alexandro worked with the W.E.T. Club at Musselman to study wetland function, and to plan and implement a biodiversity enhancement of the existing campus wetland.
Urban Tree Canopy Planting Wildwood Middle School, Jefferson County, WV On April 11, 2011 ten Redbud trees were planted at Wildwood Middle School. With the help of Cacapon Institute and Wildwood science teacher Carolyn Thomas, Environmental Club students led the planting.
Rain Garden Paw Paw School, Paw Paw, WV Paw Paw School's students design and construct a raised-bed rain garden on their school grounds. This was a joint project by the Potomac Valley Audubon Society and Cacapon Institute.
2009 School Projects
Musselman High School, Inwood, WV CI's work with the students of Musselman High began in 2009 when we helped students conduct a school grounds survey to identify possible sources of non point source pollution for remediation in the coming years. This became the template for our approach to hands-on environmental education under Cacapon Institute's Potomac Headwaters Leaders of Watersheds (PHLOW) program.
Tree Planting and Low-Mow Area Created Musselman High School, Inwood, WV Musselman students worked with the lawn maintenance crews to establish a low-mow area and plant 20 trees.
Green Roof Installation Musselman High School, Inwood, WV Students installed 700 square feet of green roof to reduce stormwater runoff and lower heating and cooling costs for the school. Planting a green roof reduces stormwater run off because much of the rain water is collected in the plants and soil and never leaves the roof.
Watershed Tour Gonzaga College High School, Washington D.C. Gonzaga students toured the Pope Branch watershed with Jim Woodsworth, Director of Tree Planting and Stewardship for Casey Trees. Webpage includes a Google Map of the tour area.
Tree Planting, Riparian Farmland Turner Ashby High School, Page County, VA Turner Ashby students, working with the Shenandoah Pure Water Forum, planted trees at Silver Lake. (PWF website link to this story not active.)
2008 School Projects
Erosion Control Project Buffalo Gap High School, Augusta County, VA Students solve an erosion problem at Beverly Manor Elementary school to reduce sediment pollution.
Tree Planting, Stormwater Pond Riparian Area Jefferson High School, Jefferson County, WV Students planted more than 100 trees and expanded the no-mow area around the school's stormwater pond.
Stream Table Construction East Hardy High School, Baker, WV Students built four stream tables for use by local non-profits to teach watershed hydrology.
Tree Planting on School Grounds Capon Bridge Middle School, Capon Bridge, WV Students from the Potomac Headwaters Leaders of Watersheds planted ten trees in the school's outdoor picnic area.
Pre-2008 School Projects
Tree Huggers! East Hardy Middle School, Baker, WV 2005-2006 About 40 students formed a club to do a number of service projects. They passed out trees to younger students on Arbor Day (the national day to think about the importance of trees), they planted trees, they cleaned a stream, and they helped with school recycling. The students took pictures for you to see here.
Deer Exclusion Fence Installed Hampshire High School, Romney, WV 2005, Fall Environmental Science students, after participating in the Oh Deer! eForum, installed a deer exclusion fence for long term study of forest floor habitat and regeneration.

School Projects Map

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Students have also planted many trees at schools through the Project CommuniTree program.