Biography

<BODY bgcolor=#ffffff> <blockquote> <center> <p align=center> <img src=paris_name2.gif width=281 height=127 ALT="About Kathy Paris"> </center> <P> <hr width=80%> <p> <img src=paris.gif width=144 height=144 hspace=15 vspace=15 align=left> <font size=+2 color=#336666>I</font> currently teach 10th grade Biology and 11th-12th grade Advanced Placement Biology. I have a BS in Zoology, a BA in Biology Education, and an MS in Biology and have been teaching for 26 years<BR> <P> I have always been an animal lover and advocate for the environment. About 20 years ago, when my husband and I purchased our first home in Spokane, Washington, I wanted to do something to help wildlife. I turned to the National Wildlife Federation for help. They had, and still have, numerous resources people can use to enhance their backyards (or schoolyards) for wildlife. With their help, I got my hands dirty and planted my first wildlife preferred tree. I was hooked when I saw the first bird land on MY tree. When I moved to a different city (Puyallup, Washington) and purchased a new home, I designed it too for wildlife.<BR> <P> I also had a new school to work (Bethel High School) at and the grounds were awful. Realizing that a new school was going to be built on the same spot in a few years, I started to plan for the future. Part of every new school's budget is set aside for landscaping. With a little effort, I was able to access part of those funds. My sophomore biology students designed the landscape for both the courtyard and the side near the science wing. Many students were able, along with some of their parents, to help with the plantings, too (although we had to hire a landscaping firm for some of it). I was also able to acquire a habitat improvement grant from our Department of Wildlife and some other donations to add a diversity of trees to the monoculture lawn. The first plantings were in 1990. We had a bit of vandalism at first because some kids from other schools drove their 4-wheel drives over the trees. That stopped when we put a 3-man rock at the base of each tree (these rocks were donated). As the trees, shrubs and groundcover matured, more and more wildlife began appearing. I can imagine what it will be like in 15 years--it will, hopefully, be a wildlife sanctuary.<BR> <P> Even though we haven't planted any more trees or shrubs in the last few years, I still have some of my students design their own yard for wildlife. It is one of the Save the Earth projects I offer at end of the year. This activity is available for downloading in this seminar.<BR> <P> I have shared this project at conventions and in a class I teach for teachers in grades 3-8 at Seattle Pacific University. I hope you will try it with your students and/or at your own home. You may become hooked too. </blockquote> <p> <center> <font size=+2> Elements</font> <i>of the</i> <font size=+2> Seminar</font> <hr> <a href="habitats_background.php">Background</a> | <a href="habitats_biography.php">Meet Kathy Paris</a> | <a href="habitats_resources.php">Resources</a> | <a href="habitats_project_summary.php">Project Summary</a> | <a href="habitats_student_worksheet.php">Student Worksheet</a> | <a href="habitats_data_form.php">Data Collection Form</a> | <a href="index.php" target=_top>Back to Index</a> <hr>  <center> <strong> <a href="/search.php" target=_top>Search</a> | <a href="../../" target=_top>Home</a> </strong> </center> <hr width=40%>  </BODY>