Elementary school receives new habitat, garden

The environment has come alive as an interactive lab for the students at Howard Wasden Elementary School, thanks to the generosity of the school namesake's friends and family as well as environmental organizations.

A 2,400-square-foot habitat and garden has been set up to be conducive to color, sound, touch and scent. The site incorporates plants such as the red cluster berry, butterfly bush and yellow trumpet flower that provide food and shelter for birds and butterflies. There is also an area set up for student gardens.

The project involved turning the area into a xeriscape, a water-efficient landscape design that incorporates low-water-use plants. Designed by landscape artist Laura Tryboski, the project was completed though a coalition of the Las Vegas Valley Water District's Desert Demonstration Garden, Clark County School District, National and Nevada Wildlife Federations, Vista Landscaping, and other volunteers.

Funding for the project came from an Environmental Protection Agency grant, the Southern Nevada Water Authority Xeriscape Program and donations from the Clark County School District, Vista Landscape and Plant World.

The creation of the wildlife habitat and xeriscape landscaping makes the Howard Wasden Elementary School a model for Southern Nevada schools.

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