Federal program relocates Tinker wetlands to Edmond Published Aug. 15, 2011 By Brian Schroeder Tinker Public Affairs, Staff Writer Tinker AFB, Okla. -- Students at Deer Creek Grove Valley Elementary School received a unique learning tool April 22, 2011. As part of Earth Day Celebration activities, the Edmond elementary school completed construction on wetlands on school grounds to be used as an outdoor classroom. More than one acre of federally protected wetlands near Grove Valley were selected for the site of new wetlands to replace 3/4 of an acres of wetlands that had to be relocated from Tinker because of a military construction project. The mitigated wetland could not be replaced on base because of bird strikes on incoming and outgoing aircraft. More than 600 volunteers were involved in various aspects of the project, including third, fourth and fifth-grade students who planted 13 species of native aquatic plants around shallow areas and along the perimeter of the pond. Students will plant trees around the wetland this fall, and the pond will be stocked with fish by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation. Funding for future construction of trails, bridges, spillways, a welcome center and teaching platforms was provided by Tinker. Debbie Straughn, Grove Valley Elementary School principal and member of the Oklahoma County Conservation District, was invited by Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works about the project and Tinker's involvement with the school. Students at Deer Creek watched their principal testify from their classroom Smart boards. "The outdoor classroom provides an ideal structured leaning for the children and promotes ideal wildlife habitat," Ms. Straughn said in her testimony to Congress. "The outdoor habitat gave children an interactive learning environment." Since the construction of the wetland, the school has been selected as the 2011 Take Pride in America National Award winner for outstanding school program in the nation, a program established by the U.S. Department of the Interior. "The celebration involving multiple government and public agencies, as well as local schools and non-governmental agencies, demonstrates how partnering activities can benefit both the military and the communities in which they reside," said Ray Moody, Tinker natural resource scientist. "In times of economic crunch, these types of initiatives are more important than ever." The wetland will be available for local residents of The Grove to enjoy. Although fifth graders who helped set up the wetland and are headed to middle school and will not be able to take advantage of the outdoor classroom, Ms. Straughn said she is already working with students to form a middle school club who can participate in maintaining the wetlands. She said she also has plans for students to plant vegetable and flower gardens in the future.