Concept

Pitcher plants are rapidly becoming extinct in Virginia in the wild.  The ability of carnivorous plants to lure, capture, and digest organic matter from the animal world is fascinating to students.  This fascination will help draw the students to learn about all types of carnivorous plants. They will experiment with pitcher plants learning how to harvest seeds, soil requirements, light, fertilization, feeding, pest control and hybridization.  The students will visit a site in Virginia where pitcher plants still exist in nature and visit the Meadowview Biological Research Station where carnivorous plants are being reproduced for restoration into their natural habitats around Virginia.  The students will learn the importance of preserving plants in their environment while having fun raising and feeding carnivorous plants.  Plants raised by the students will be returned to the wild.  The results of their experiments will be submitted to the Virginia Academy of Sciences for proxy publication.

Only a maximum of 50 schools in the country are selected for a Tapestry
Grant each year.  This is a unique opportunity for Potomac
Elementary School (PES).

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