Ducks, turtles, plants, and more. The James Caldwell High School’s pond can be found in the courtyard surrounded by elegant and eye-catching nature that has caught the attention of students and faculty for many years. Friends of a man named Ken Straub, who attended this school as a student, dedicated the JCHS courtyard “as a tribute to life which exemplified the ideals of friendship, loyalty, and brotherhood” (JCHS Plaque of Ken Straub 1940-1957). The courtyard has thus blossomed into what it is today, which is a home to a duck couple, Mrs. Press’ turtles, planted flowers and food, and food for birds just stopping by. So where did the pond come from? The ducks that are often found lingering near the pond during the school day have been at this school since the spring of 1972. In 1972, a female mallard duck appeared in the courtyard and made a nest next to the drain pipe. Nine to twelve eggs were hatched after the duck’s spontaneous appearance, leading the school to decide to place a child’s plastic pool in place of a pond for the duck and her ducklings. Soon, the baby ducklings began using the plastic pool to learn to swim. The school knew what it had to do. The pond was then made and polished by the fall of 1972. The next year’s spring, the duck returned and hatched another eight to ten eggs, and another female mallard duck began nesting with nine ducklings already hatched. In the spring of 1973, over twenty ducks were raised at JCHS. Currently, there is a male and female mallard duck who had baby ducklings last year, but they were sadly eaten by predators. Only one or two of their ducklings remained. The duck couple is back and can be seen from time to time relaxing in their lavish pond with the turtles. But, who maintains the pond within the courtyard? The Environmental Club has been responsible for this task for many years, and Ms. Bergen presently runs the club.
I had the chance to interview Ms. Bergen about the Environmental Club, and I found out she has been running the club for nearly two years after Mrs. Browne retired. Ms. Bergen shared how educated she is in Environmental Science and has a strong passion for making the environment a better place, inspiring her to take over the club . I was able to ask her about past and current projects done by the EPC; Ms. Bergen is very proud of all of the projects her and her students have done and has currently planted bulbs and started creating a habitat within the courtyard for the ducklings!
It is clear that the EPC and Ms. Bergen are proud and passionate about the environment, but their most important contributions are to the courtyard. Their hard work never goes unnoticed especially by the students here at JCHS. Students everyday who pass by the 100 wing always stare through the windows in front of the library to awe at the beauty lingering in the courtyard. It is hard not to take a moment to stop and observe the active piece of the natural world. Each and every student holds the courtyard and pond in a special place in their hearts.
Addy Stafford, a JCHS senior, shared her feelings regarding the pond in our interview. Addy expressed, “I like to look out and glance at the pond here and there when I’m walking past the window. It’s nice to look at…I like it a lot.” It is clear that even from a student’s perspective, the pond is a great feature in the school’s courtyard. We all enjoy seeing the ducks, counting how many ducklings are born when there are new ducklings, and seeing the turtles move in the water. We can appreciate the beauty and cleanliness of the pond and overall courtyard garden thanks to the EPC and Ms. Bergen.
As Ms. Bergen says, “It does not take a lot of effort to make the environment a better place. Being respectful of the environment, and making conscious decisions about products can make a large difference in protecting the environment. And most importantly, use reusable cups when getting Starbucks!” (Bergen 2024).
