Here is a link to an article on our Ponds For Kids Program. The article was written By Aquascape, Inc. http://www.aquascapeinc.com/retailers/index.php?page=articles&a_id=85
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Ponds For Kids- No Child Left Inside
September 16th, 2009 by lvoughtA great info source on water lilies
September 9th, 2009 by lvoughtHave you ever wondered which water lilies are the best choice for your water garden? Have you ever wondered which are the best to AVOID? Water lilies are gouped into two main catagories; the odorata and the Marliac. The odorata varieties, those more closely related to the wild varieties, are those with long horizontal stems called rhizomes. These monsters can spread several feet in a single growing season. This makes them quite diffecult to keep in a pot. The more civilized choice would be those of the Marliac family. These are named for the famous french plant hybridizer that did so much of the work in developing these hybrids. There is an excellent article for reading further: http://www.watergardenermagazine.com/node/556.
Good Hope Primary School Ponds For Kids Day
March 30th, 2009 by lvoughtWhat: Ponds for Kids Day
When: Wednesday; April 8, 2009
Good Hope Primary will be the first school in Cullman County to participate in the Ponds for Kids program in partnership with the Alabama Outdoor Classroom Program. The Good Hope Primary students, parents, faculty and community volunteers will help build and install a water garden on their school grounds in just one day!
The media is invited to tour the school’s outdoor classroom site and take pictures throughout the day. The event will begin at 8 a.m. with shifts of students and volunteers cycling through until approximately 2:00 p.m.; at which time, the water garden installation should be completed and they will ceremoniously plug in the water pump bringing the water garden to life.
Background Info
The Alabama Outdoor Classroom Program, a partnership between the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and Alabama Cooperative Extension System, provides technical assistance for schools who want to develop sustainable outdoor classroom sites that can be utilized as effective teaching tools. Good Hope Primary enrolled in the Alabama Outdoor Classroom program in September of 2008, and is working to create and certify their outdoor classroom site as a model for other schools.
Good Hope Primary’s outdoor classroom site is the vision of their outdoor classroom planning committee which is led by Vice Principal Gina Webb, Principal Janet Mattox, first grade teacher Amanda Swann, and school volunteer Sue Livingston. The goal for their outdoor classroom site is to provide hands-on learning opportunities with the students and to provide wildlife habitat for local wildlife. The aquatic studies area that they are constructing through the Ponds for Kids Program will provide another learning station for their outdoor classroom site where students will participate in hands-on, real-world activities as they study the aquatic ecosystem they’ve created. In addition, the aquatic study area will provide a valuable water source for local wildlife, which is an essential component in providing wildlife habitat.
Through a partnership with the North American Water Gardening Society’s Ponds for Kids (PFK) program, Good Hope Primary will receive discounted pond-building materials and technical assistance from Lee Vought of Vought Water Gardens from Decatur, Alabama. Vought provides assistance to schools enrolled in the Alabama Outdoor Classroom Program to help them develop and install their aquatic studies areas in just one day while working hand-in-hand with the students, faculty and parent volunteers. At the end of the day, their aquatic studies area will include a waterfall, streambed, and water garden. The funds for Good Hope Primary’s pond and outdoor classroom have been donated in memory of Sally Bice.
A goal of the Alabama Outdoor Classroom Program is to provide hands-on, outdoor learning opportunities that allow students of all ages to utilize multiple-disciplinary skills in a fun and exciting environment. At present, over 200 schools across Alabama are developing outdoor classroom sites through the Alabama Outdoor Classroom Program. For more information about the Alabama Outdoor Classroom and Ponds for Kids programs, please visit the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s website at www.alabamawildlife.org, or contact April Waltz, Alabama Wildlife Federation Conservation Education Specialist, in Huntsville at (256) 882-9322.
Spring Pond Maintenance
March 30th, 2009 by lvoughtSpring…. Get it while it’s hot! Or at least unseasonably mild that is. I can hardly believe we are entering springtime this early. The weather predictions call for an early warm up so we are beginning our cleanouts now. The way we determine when it is most appropriate to perform this essential duty is that we look at the long range forecast and measure the water temperature in the pond. When the temperature in the pond is within ten degrees of the water supply, you know it’s less stressful for the fish.
So Why Do We Need To Do a Cleanout Anyway? Remember that the way Vought Water Gardens Designs these ponds is replicating the process found in nature. It is typical to get more rain in the spring. Some areas even get runoff from snow melt. This process flushes out excess organic matter and does a good job of exchanging water in the riparian (rivers and streams) system. So, since the floods are hopefully missing your backyard, we do the work while Mother Nature takes a pass on your backyard pond. While we are at it, we change out the light bulbs in the underwater lights, divide or reposition water plants, restack rocks as necessary, and survey the fish for general health and appearance. We inspect plumbing, wiring check for leaks and service your filters. By doing this, we get your pond ecosystem up and running for the spring. You may notice that your pond wakes up earlier than if you wait on a cleanout until later. We also like doing the maintenance now because it gets us in the mood for spring before spring officially gets here!
So What is the Cost? A variety of different factors may affect your cleanout price. Time is a factor. I have though, seen some ponds where the little things were taken care of during the year and the pond is well balanced and fairly clean. Those ponds require less time; just a quick water change, fish health, plumbing and wiring check and new light bulbs. We charge seventy five dollars per man-hour for our time. Last year, a typical two hundred square foot pond cleanout ranged from $150.00 to over $500.00! Most are somewhere in the middle. Some factors that affect a cleanout are: How long has it been since you did a cleanout on your pond? Do you have a skimmer and biofalls or a bog? Is it a pond with fish or a pondless waterfall? Is it full of leaves? Do you have the right balance of fish and plants? Have you been using the bacteria like you should?
We are booking now! Contact us to schedule your visit. We can be reached by phone or email. Our Birmingham number is 205-87-WATER, our Decatur number is 256-350-8857. Both numbers ring to Lee’s mobile phone. Email us at mail@voughtwatergardens.com. We are trying to schedule geographically to save on fuel and greenhouse gases so the earlier you contact us, the better.