After obtaining the appropriate U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approvals and the award of a Tier I Innovative School Grant, the McNeil High School courtyard has opened as an outdoor classroom for McNeil’s life and environmental sciences students.
In the McNeil courtyard there are two caves known as the Hidden Forest Cave and Millipede Cave. Since McNeil opened in 1991, other than the occasional mowing, the courtyard was ordered closed to protect the ecosystem and sustain the cave species population, which includes the endangered spider Texela Reyesii or Bone Cave harvestman.
McNeil science teacher Christine Vicks submitted the request for the grant and then enlisted the help of McNeil Senior and Eagle Scout Luke Guajardo to recruit community resources and plan the space. Now, what was once closed off is a flexible outdoor learning space with enough patio tables to seat a class of 30 students, covered by sail shades and framed by a wood mulch pad.
“Luke did a great job rallying community members and his scout troop. They put in a massive amount of work,” Vicks said. “His planning and orchestration of the project were stellar.”
McNeil’s proximity to the caves and other various natural habitats offers the school’s environmental science program unique research-related opportunities.
“This space provides students the opportunity to enjoy the outdoor courtyard while benefiting them academically and socially,” Vicks said. “McNeil is fortunate to have such a unique space which supports our strong environmental sciences programs.”
In 2013, students from the Green Club and Environmental Science classes gained limited access to plant native trees, shrubs and forbs around the cave entrances. With the student enhancements, the habitat has become an attraction for many birds and pollinators.
