PROJECT SUPPORTERS
The following are excerpts from Letters of Support for the Como Woodland Restoration and Outdoor Classroom.

Nancy Stachel
Principal of Como Elementary
We would use the Como Woodland Restoration and Outdoor Classroom to improve student understanding of environmental science and to improve our students’ stewardship behaviors. We are especially excited about the proposed outdoor classroom features. Maintained trails with lesson activities and the restoration of the “Dutch Ovens” to provide a meeting place and story circle fit nicely in meeting our needs. This environmental learning center right within the city of Saint Paul would be an excellent resource for the community. Please support this project for the children and families of Saint Paul.

Dorothy Waltz
Chair of the Ramsey Conservation District
On behalf of the Ramsey Conservation District (RCD) Board of Supervisors, I wish to express our support for the proposed Como Park Woodland Restoration and Outdoor Classroom project. With the many schools in the area, the public’s interest in environmental stewardship for the greater Como Lake watershed, and the many environmental organization partners expressing interest in this project, we believe this site lends itself well to the proposed use. We have directed our technical staff to assist the Community Council and/or City staff with further assessment of the site. I am confident the RCD can be of assistance with this worthy project.

Peggy Knapp
Assistant Professor, Center for Global Environmental Education
As an environmental education organization, the Center for Global Environmental Education (CGEE) is committed to fostering environmental literacy and stewardship. Critical to our mission are the outdoor classroom spaces that offer urban K-12 students opportunities to study, explore and understand the natural world that supports human culture. The Como Woodland restoration project would offer a unique opportunity for students to not only study the natural world, but participate in bringing a natural system back to health through the best practices of service learning and place-based education.

Paul Wierzbicki
Urban Forestry Outreach Coordinator, Tree Trust
I’m writing this letter of support for the Como Woodland Restoration & Outdoor Classroom Project. Currently, the 16-acre natural area serves as the largest remaining continuous forest ecosystem in the 348-acre Como Park. This remaining tract of forest contains many native Minnesota tree species and several historic structures, including the Dutch Ovens and Kaufman Cascades. The area has a tremendous cultural and environmental interpretation potential for the many visitors and students of the nearby public schools.

Val Cunningham
Nature writer and editor
As a bird-watcher who increasingly leads bird walks and talks for St. Paul Audubon, the Ramsey Birding Festival and other groups, I regard the Como Park Woodland Restoration and Outdoor Classroom project proposal as vital to educating the public about birds and bird habitat. My focus is on showing people the birds that live close to home, and many of the walks I lead are within Como Park. The costs associated with this proposal are quite low and the potential benefits to a broad spectrum of users are great. I ask you to give this excellent proposal your full support.

Vera Ming Wong
Artist/Illustration, Como Education Program Instructor
As an instructor in the Como Education Program, I strongly and heartily support the proposal for an outdoor classroom in Como Park. in my botanical and zoological drawing and illustration classes, I try to include information on native species, and encourage students to focus on and learn about our native species in addition to the exotic species in the Como Zoo and Conservatory collections. An outdoor classroom at Como Park would be ideal for these situations. Please put the financial and material support of Como Park into this project.

Timothy Chase
Earth and Life Science Teacher, Murray Junior High School
As a St. Paul Public School teacher, I would like to express my support and earnest desire to move forward with the development of a quality outdoor classroom in the proposed Como Woodland Project. As Minnesota Academic Standards for Science (MASS) have been added to by the SPPS Science Curriculum Team and committees of teachers involving elementary and secondary teachers. This has resulted in a new sub category to include environmental components that are represented in the national standards and benchmarks, but missing from the MASS. We feel our new document, SPPS Science Standards, which includes the national standards on environment science, are very sound and will prove to be a model for the state when it revisits the MASS.

With that being said, we SPPS teachers now have an even greater need to have quality places to study ecosystems, plant diversity, habitat fragmentation, native plant studies, invasive species studies, and environmental science. Places like this proposed Como Woodland Project would be an outstanding place to allow such learning to happen. Especially for our more urban learners who may not get out to investigate a natural setting much, words and pictures about trees and bugs in a textbook can only go so far.

As a resident of the District 10 Como Park Neighborhood for over 12 years, I would like to also express my support and desire to have Como Park be all that it can be for the benefit of the city. There are many parts to the park addressing a multitude of diversions. The need for natural settings seems to be overlooked.

Barbara Lindeke
Chair, St. Paul Audubon Education Committee
For the past three summers, our organization has used Como Park to present a bird study course in conjunction with St. Paul Community Education programs. We would love to use the restored woodland and its improved habitat for lessons on diverse biomes and the birds that would use them. We wish to add our support for the adoption of Como Woodland Restoration and Outdoor Classroom Project. We can’t wait for the opportunity to use it with our students and to see neighborhood children and their families learning in this wonderful restored variety of habitats.

Christopher North
Science Teacher, Arlington Senior High School
We are in complete support of this project. The impact for our students would be great as we would be willing to volunteer in the creation of the learning center, in addition to using the completed project. This new Como site would greatly enhance the learning of our students at Arlington High School because we have seen what a powerful agent of change the opportunity to learn in the outdoor environment is.

Joshua Leonard
Biology and Environmental Science Teacher, Como Park Sr High School
I am the Environmental Science teacher and one of three Biology teachers at Como Park Senior High School. I am very excited to hear about the Como Woodland Project plans for designing and restoring a native deciduous forest planting in Como Park! A deciduous planting in Como Park would be a major asset to my classes, my environmental club and the Como Park community. Specifically because this project is focusing on native plantings am I able and willing to involve my classes. Additionally the Como Woodland project would provide meaningful service learning projects for students. Such projects would give students invaluable experiences and enable them to take pride and ownership in beautifying their community.

I plan on involving three groups of students with the Como Woodland Project:
1. Environmental Club (about 15 students) - level of involvement = very high (perhaps weekly or biweekly depending on opportunities and time of year)
2. Environmental Science classes (approximately 100 students) making 1-2 trips each in one year.
3. Pre-Advanced Placement Biology Classes (approximately 100 students) making 2-3 trips in one year.