Recent News

4-H Explores the Petrified Forest National Park
4-H club members from Fountain Hill’s Empowered to Make a Difference 4-H Club visited the Petrified Forest National Park in April 2022. The youth and volunteers were surprised by the multi-colored pieces of petrified wood, the massive logs, and the vastness of the open area. The field trip was made possible by a generous grant from Arizona Game & Fish Department (AZGFD).

4-H Club’s Trip to Northern Arizona
4-H club members from Fountain Hill’s Empowered to Make a Difference 4-H Club were able to take a 4-day field trip to northern Arizona thanks to a generous grant from Arizona Game & Fish Department (AZGFD).
We visited the Petrified Forest & Painted Desert, went on a beautiful nature hike at the base of Mount Elden, found a friendly horned lizard, built forts, cooked dinners, and had a nature scavenger hunt.

4-H Club Explores the “Bone Box”
Student members from the 4-H Club of Fountain Hills had a great day learning about the numerous animals that call Arizona home. Billy Ristuccia, a local wildlife photographer, assisted with the presentation of the “Bone Box” lent to us by the Arizona Game & Fish Department. Members of the club got to have hands-on experience with various animal pelts while matching them with their skulls. The students also learned about each animal’s prey, habitat, and various other facts. A portion of the presentation was dedicated to safety awareness when approached by wildlife in and around town.

Exploring the Mystery of Decomposition at Garfield!
Our 5th and 6th graders had an absolute blast exploring the mysteries of decomposition and vermiculture this past quarter. Our students are accustomed to composting

Maryland Eco-Schools Team Celebrates National Farm to School Month
Students at Maryland Elementary School in Phoenix are celebrating National Farm to School Month for the month of October. Members of the Eco-Schools Garden Club

A Queen in Our Garden!
Well, we haven’t seen any monarchs on our milkweed in the Maryland School pollinator garden this year, but we did have one special visitor earlier
National Wildlife Federation's Eco-School Program
Arizona Eco-Schools
The Eco-Schools Program is based on a global initiative that seeks to engage students through a systems-thinking lens to apply learning to effect change toward environmental sustainability through thoughtful activities and actions, building economic awareness, environmental responsibility, and civic engagement with an objective to cultivate meaningful, lasting relationships with the community.
Arizona EPA Grant Program
Twelve schools in Arizona have been selected to be part of the Arizona Eco-School Pilot Program in collaboration with Arizona Association of Conservation Districts (AACD), Arizona Association for Environmental Education (AAEE), Arizona Wildlife Federation (AWF), and the National Wildlife Federation (NWF). The pilot program is funded by an EPA grant for Environmental Education.
Arizona Eco-Action Teams
An Eco-Action Team is a group of individuals who get together over a period of time to follow a step-by-step process of manageable actions on sustainable living. Learn more about all the great work the Arizona Eco-Action Teams are doing.