Kim Anderson

“Hummingbird Garden Buddies”, Anderson’s innovative project, pairs first and fifth-grade students together to create a beautiful  hummingbird haven in an area of the school that is overgrown and neglected. Together, the students, along with parent volunteers and  teachers, will transform a 600-square-foot plot into a landscaped area suitable for attracting hummingbirds. The goal is to bring the  natural world to life with active involvement by the students. They will benefit by caring for the garden and watching their plants  develop and attract hummingbirds, along with other bird species, insects and lizards. Through the program, students will learn about  watershed issues, math and graphing, and will utilize their computer skills to prepare a presentation that introduces the community to  the Hummingbird Garden. Anderson, who resides in Burbank, believes the peer-to-peer learning, along with gaining a sense of  responsibility and appreciation for the natural world, will create more responsible and caring students as well.