Friday was March 1st the first day of Meteorological Spring! What it is that you ask? Most of us are familiar with Astronomical Spring, March 20, the vernal equinox, when we see we see a balance of night and day. But Meteorological Spring begins when the three coldest months of the year, December, January and February are behind us and the temperatures start to rise.
Friday was a perfect taste of this with a not-quite-balmy 48 degree Fahrenheit temperature.
We also know that spring is on its way because our Journey North experimental tulips have emerged from the ground.
The Red Emperor tulips are showing about 2 inches of leaf tip, so they probably poked out a week ago but have been buried under at thick layer of straw mulch.
Learn more about this citizen scientist project at http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tulip/index.html
Greater Newark Conservancy's new Director of Education, Jarred Shaw help us search for emerging tulips.
Everyone pitched in to help get the garden cleaned up and ready for spring.
We filled the compost bin to overflowing with fall leaves that remained in the garden.
The Panther Pride garden hosted the youngest scholars at Thirteenth Avenue School for a Fall Harvest Festival.
Scholars taste tested yellow and red New Jersey Fresh apples and got to vote for their favorite.
Children sat on hay bales and listened to the story Pumpkin Circle by George Levenson. The story illustrates the dramatic development of seed to pumpkin. They also got to see green pumpkins growing on the vine in the garden.
At the end of their visit, scholars were able to pick out their very own pumpkin to decorate.
Thanks to Principal Mackey, Vice-principal Gilliam and the pre-K and Kindergarten teachers for sponsoring this second annual event.
