By Maya Betti, News Intern
Hundreds of third-grade students across Rice County are helping pollinators thrive — one prairie plant at a time.
This spring, around 800 students participated in the “Pocket of Prairie” program, a hands-on conservation initiative led by the Rice Soil and Water Conservation District. Now in its second year, the program teaches students about the importance of native prairies and pollinator habitats in schoolyards and neighborhoods.
Inspired by the children’s book Plant a Pocket of Prairie, the project was launched by former Conservation District Supervisor Dr. Richard Huston.
With support from the Faribault Rotary Club and Tri-Lakes Sportsmen’s Club, the program brings prairie planting into classrooms across the county.
Program staff visited schools in Faribault, Northfield, Lonsdale, Nerstrand, and other towns, reading the book to students, sharing videos of pollinators and handing out native plants for each child to take home.
Some schools took it a step further. Students at Jefferson Elementary and Divine Mercy Catholic School planted prairies on school grounds.
Jefferson’s planting helped restore a prairie area lost to a past construction project, while Divine Mercy’s planting coincided with the opening of their new school building.
The program also gained a boost from Bethlehem Academy student Langston Richter. He grew several different native prairie species seedlings, totaling around 140 plants, that were planted in addition to a flat of native plants donated through the Pocket of Prairie Program.
Organizers hope the program will spark a lifelong interest in conservation in people like Richter. As Teresa DeMars from the Conservation District puts it, “Their enthusiasm for pollinators and gardening is contagious.”
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