When she was a child, Kali DeWine, now marketing director for The Montessori School of Chattanooga, sometimes got dunked in her school’s concrete-lined pond.

Today, that pond has evolved into an ecosystem. Concrete was replaced by boulders, railroad ties with mulch. A waterfall tumbles down a natural-looking rock stream.

Now, instead of jumping in, children feed fish, watch koi dive for their caves, listen to the tree frogs chirp, study evaporation and contemplate the sound of falling water to become calm.

“Montessori schools across the country are incorporating natural environments,” Ms. DeWine said.

Giving children “the real thing” rather than, say, plastic replicas, of plants and animals helps them become better stewards of their world, according to the Montessori philosophy.

It also aids their mastery of biology, zoology and other scientific topics, Ms. DeWine said.

Children having a bad day or tussling with their classmates may be asked to listen to the waterfall’s soothing sounds, she added.

In keeping with the ecosystem theme, the water feature’s builder, Matt Keown had the pond and waterfall certified with the National Wildlife Federation.

To receive a Backyard Habitat certificate, the federation requires that the environment provide food, water, cover and elements needed for reproduction for a range of wildlife species, including birds, fish, salamanders and frogs.

Staff Photo by Allison Kwesell Lauren Massey, 5, right, inspects a bug Sophia Gibby, 5, found near their school's new garden pond. The pond is used to teach kids about wildlife and ecology.

Rocks were arranged to create small caves for fish to hide or stay warm in winter. Water lilies are present for water filtration and shade, and lily pads are for frogs to land on. But they’re confined to containers now, to prevent their taking over.

A cattail sports bushy tails in one corner. A bamboo screen rises at one end, balancing an old weeping cherry shading the pond at the other. A ginkgo provides shade for a bright blue bench.

The pond has a water filtration system and running water to help keep the water clear. A sump pump — used frequently during recent heavy rains — removes excess water during storms.

Nooks and crannies at different levels help a host of species with different requirements find a place to nest. Butterflies, for example, need shallow water or simply wet rocks. Fish require deeper pools. Salamanders, too, like shallow, moist edges.

When the board members and staff of the school decided to renovate, they had another option: Eliminate the pond.

The concrete bottom had cracked. Water lilies ran rampant.

Deprived of light by the lily leaves, water quality deteriorated. All the fish died.

“We realized we could either fill our pond in or make it something beautiful. We decided to make it beautiful,” Ms. DeWine said.

Ms. DeWine declined to give the price of the water feature. Similar water features typically range from about $8,000 to $25,000 or sometimes much more, Mr. Bartel has said.

Children like to come out to the edge of the rocks to watch the fish but are steered by supervisors back to the “observing area” two or three feet back from the edge.

The bench is the “sitting area,” where children and their parents may sit quietly and observe the pond.

For safety reasons, children ages 3 and 4 watch the fish in small groups only with a supervising teacher. The pond was placed next to a playground that only serves kindergartners and older children.

A teacher is posted at the pool’s edge during each play period.

These precautions repay their trouble.

“We don’t want any kids going in,” Ms. DeWine said.

Lauren Massey, a 5-year-old student, said she enjoys hanging out at the pond. “I like it’s not as nasty as earlier — we couldn’t see the fish. Now frogs can hop onto lily pads in case they want air, and if there’s any danger around they can hop out of the lily pad.”

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