Garden grows at West Valley School site

A native plant garden took root on Tuesday at West Valley School.

Teachers, students, parents and community volunteers dug in to place plants in the school’s new native plant garden.

Besides providing habitat for area birds, butterflies and insects, the garden offers a hands-on outdoor classroom for students.

West Valley is one of four Flathead Valley schools to benefit from $16,000 in funding from the U.S. Forest Service’s “More Kids in the Woods Program.”

Flathead Audubon and Flathead National Forest received the funding for the “Discovering Flathead’s Feathered Friends — Enhancing Schoolyard and National Forest Habitat” project. 

The funding supported native plant gardens at four different schools, including the expansion of Glacier High School’s native bird garden last fall and the development of native plant gardens at three area elementary/middle schools, including West Valley.

Many different partners are helping to make the “Feathered Friends” project happen, including Flathead Audubon, teachers, parents, students, Master Gardener volunteers and local native plant nurseries.