Landscaping Efforts Produce Long-Term Impacts

WATERTOWN, SD – Students in Lake Area Technical College’s Intro to Range Management and Plants class stepped out of the classroom and up to the challenge of enhancing the new Ag Center’s landscaping.  This wasn’t a typical landscaping job, however. The well-focused native plant lab includes plants and grasses that are native to this area.

“By incorporating native plants and grasses into the landscaping, students in our program will be able to use them for identification and preservation purposes,” LATI Ag Instructor Laurie Johnson said.  “In addition, this experience allows students to take ownership in the new Ag Center and its surroundings.”

Students spent the better part of a day identifying and planting several species of plants including perennial ornamental grasses and flowering plants.  Dean Seim of Sioux Valley Greenhouse in Watertown shared his knowledge with the students as they prepared for and completed the project.

Additional plans for the native plant lab include designing signage and incorporating the lab into the Environmental Technology program coursework.

“We’re extremely proud of the student’s work with the native plant lab,” Johnson said. “Their efforts will be appreciated for years to come both in and out of the classroom.”