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Sand County Foundation, a national nonprofit conservation organization, has selected three high schools in Alabama’s Wiregrass region to receive a pollinator habitat education grant in 2025.
South Dale Middle School in the Dale County School District, Crenshaw County Schools’ Career Academy, and New Brockton High School in the Coffee County School District will receive science curriculum and $500 to create native plant habitat for imperiled pollinators.
Over two years, students will engage in hands-on experiences in habitat restoration with a goal of inspiring students about careers in conservation.
Students will learn about topics such as botany, ecology, soil science, and forestry before creating or restoring habitat by planting long leaf pine saplings or grasses and wildflowers that are native to the ecologically important Wiregrass region.
“There is a shortage of conservation professionals in the job market, and our goal is to address this gap,” said Dr. Heidi Peterson, Sand County Foundation Vice President of Agricultural Conservation and Research. “Few high school programs provide experiential learning opportunities related to conservation in agriculture. We know that project-based learning about real environmental problems leads to greater likelihood of stewardship as an adult.”
Ashley Catrett, who teaches at the Crenshaw County Schools’ Career Academy, said, “This program’s goal of sparking student interest in conservation careers allows me to highlight various career paths in conservation, agriculture, and natural resources, while encouraging students to view their work on the project as a meaningful step towards career exploration and environmental responsibility.”
Drew Thompson, who teaches at South Dale Middle School in the Dale County School District, has been promoting pollinator habitat in his classroom for three years. “We have constructed a nature trail on school grounds that would be a great place for wildflowers and grasses to be planted along with some longleaf pines. I expect the students to learn more about pollinators and longleaf pine ecosystems through this hands-on project.”
Keith Hocutt, who teaches at New Brockton High School in the Coffee County School District, says his students will be responsible for taking care of the pollinator habitat they establish. “Working in conjunction with the county commission and city officials, forestry service, and extension specialists, we will prepare the site, which is part of a larger project involving a nature trail and outdoor classroom. My students will receive on-hand experience in site preparation, transplanting plants, and installation.”
With support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Sand County Foundation is piloting the conservation career curriculum with plans to expand it in coming years.
In addition to the habitat education grant program, Sand County Foundation is currently leading a program for beginning and historically underserved farmers in the Wiregrass region. Farmer participants come together to share knowledge, experience, and resources with each other to improve their productivity, profitability, and sustainability through shared learning and collaboration. Register for this free program at www.sandcountyfoundation.org/Alabama-Farmer.
The Wiregrass region is named for the Aristida stricta, commonly known as wiregrass due to its texture, which is native to the area’s long-leaf pine ecosystem. Longleaf pine ecosystems are critical habitat for threatened and endangered species. They once encompassed more than 90 million acres across the Southeast, but over the past two centuries, the ecosystem’s range has decreased by 97 percent. For more information, click here.
