Aldo Leopold Middle School (ALCS) students, teachers and parent volunteers had a community service day for the Gila Native Plant Society this spring at the Silva Creek Botanical Garden. Elroy Limmer and Charles Holmes had groups of students' trail building, planting, and hauling debris. Mark Cantrell supervised students in the design and planting of a pollination garden shaped like a butterfly. Tricia Hurley of Lone Mountain Natives helped ALCS secure a grant from KNMB Inc. to pay for the garden. Friends and family of Ella, Ella and Michael helped throughout the day. To learn more about supporting pollination gardens like this one, visit www.butterflywayproject.org.

What do 50 Aldo Leopold Middle School students, three teachers, nine volunteers, and one dog have in common?

On September 4, 2013 the Upper Gila Watershed Alliance (UGWA), Lone Mountain Natives (LMN) LLC, Stream Dynamics, Inc., and Sky Island Alliance volunteers partnered with Aldo Leopold Middle School for an exciting restoration project at Bar 6 Canyon in the Gila National Forest. Sixth, seventh and eighth graders cycled through three learning stations, one of which was restoring native vegetation grown by Mark and Tricia of LMN.

Teacher Mark Cantrell wore two hats that day as he instructed students in proper planting technique and function of plant associations for streamside restoration. The students paired off to plant trees and shrubs in the appropriate places: cottonwood, desert willow, and false indigo right next to the stream, and wolfberry, mesquite, and mountain mahogany farther away from the surface water. They also planted forbs such as milkweeds, scarlet hedge nettle, and goldenrod - all great plants for a healthy streamside community and that will benefit pollinators and birds. To learn more about the project contact UGWA at info@ugwa.org or visit their website at www.ugwa.org.

Jose Barrios staff and students rallied with the help of Lone Mountain Natives to rescue and restore the schools butterfly gardens in the fall of 2012. KNMB Inc., a longtime supporter of planting projects at the school, awarded funding to re-plant natives in the Outdoor Living Classroom. Creating bird and pollinator friendly habitat has been a passion for both Mark and Tricia who started the gardens in 2005. Mark teaches 5th grade there and both their children have attended the school.

These planting projects provide an excellent opportunity for hands on learning and a chance for families and the school community to be outside engaged in meaningful activities. This is an important alternative for children who spend more and more time glued to television, video games, computers and cell phones. Lone Mountain Natives has helped with other community plantings and we are committed to beautifying our and your surroundings. Contact us if you have a community project, median strip, or business landscape in mind.

As a memorial to Eric Kennedy & Sal Puentes, the median on Highway 180 West was adopted by the families of Eric and Sal. Prior to the car accident that took their lives at this intersection, Eric and Sal, who loved the outdoors, native plants and wildlife, were seniors studying Wildlife Biology/Forestry at WMNU and were given honorary degrees by the university in a special ceremony.

Mark and Tricia with Lone Mountain Natives helped with plant selection and design of the median, and donated their time on the actual planting day. The planting day was a healing experience for all who participated, as we saw this memorial median beautifully transformed with native plants.

In collaboration with WNMU Ecology Club students and Van Clothier from Stream Dynamics, Inc. we selected and designed plantings for an urban water harvesting project.