More than 50 students, 12 school clubs, and other community
members helped put together a new natural habitat garden at
Desert Vista High School last weekend. The garden features about
140 native plants, trees like Mesquites, Palo Verdes, Paper Bark
Acacias and Desert Willows line several walkways in addition to
numerous bushes and shrubbery. Occupying the courtyard between
the school’s gymnasium and cafeteria, the garden also has
benches designed with mosaic tiles from a Desert Vista alum.
“The overall goal is to provide an outdoor classroom for the
students to learn in, and to have an outdoor, visual space to
utilize and enhance class curriculum,” said Susan Norton, who
organized the garden project. Funded by the Arizona Game and
Fish Department’s Heritage Grants, Norton also started a garden
at Kyrene Monte Vista Elementary School about five years ago,
which prompted a similar project at Kyrene de la Esperanza
Elementary School, and another at Kyrene de la Colina Elementary
School. “I wanted to see one in