Come forth into the light of things, let Nature be your teacher.
~William Wordsworth, The Tables Turned
With no central air conditioning and no trees providing shade, the classrooms that faced south at my children’s middle school got way too hot during the warmer months of the school year. I knew firsthand from my days volunteering in the school that students, staff and volunteers got overheated, and it was difficult to concentrate.
As a long-time master gardener, I knew that trees could shade those classroom windows and reduce the temperatures inside to teachable levels. If benches and shrubs were added, the front yard would be transformed into an “outdoor classroom,” one that would entice teachers to bring their students outside to learn. And I imagined how wonderful it would be for our district’s kids, many of whom live in apartment buildings without yards or green space, to experience the contentment of sitting on a bench under a leafy green tree during their school day.
Since I’m both a dreamer and a doer, I met with the school’s PTA and described how adding trees, shrubs and benches would lower classroom temps as well as add natural beauty to the front yard. And I expressed my willingness to organize the project. The group liked the idea, but thought their fundraising efforts and volunteer time should remain focused on academics. During the meeting, I noticed that the principal, whose family has deep roots in our town and gives generously of their time and talent, listened carefully to my proposal, but he didn’t comment.
Two days later, the principal called me. He said, “When people are surrounded by beauty, they are happier. When children are in a natural environment, they are calmer. When students can sit outside on a beautiful day surrounded by green trees and birds, they learn more.”
He continued: “I have a school filled with energetic students. And I shared your thoughts with my staff. We all think you are very kind to offer us your skills. My staff and I want to help you transform our school’s front yard. Let’s meet.”
At that first meeting, I promised to find a certified landscape designer who would transform our vision into a workable plan. A social studies teacher agreed to research possible grants and mock up sample lessons that would incorporate the outdoor classroom into the school’s social studies curriculum. The art teacher said she would brainstorm with her colleagues and create lesson plans that would use the natural resources of a newly refurbished front yard. The science teacher said his department was enthusiastic about conducting nature-based experiments in an outdoor classroom. And the principal? He promised to talk with the district to figure out the logistics of making our vision a reality.
After a year of meetings and design revisions, the district approved a landscape plan, which was created, gratis, by a professional landscape designer who graduated from the school years earlier. I found a local company that promised to deliver topsoil at a deeply discounted price when we were ready to create the planting berms. Then I heard about a new foundation in our state that had a grant program for schools doing exactly what we were planning: planting trees to lower temperatures inside the school building as well as beautify the urban environment. I applied, and we were accepted into the program for the following year! We were promised a variety of shade trees that would thrive in our area. The trees and the labor to install them were free! And the foundation thought it was terrific that our students and staff would work alongside the professional crew to plant the trees.
Meanwhile, the social studies teacher submitted a grant application for the plan, an outdoor classroom, which we called “The Habitat for Living & Learning.” And I applied for a grant from a large home improvement store. Many months later, we were notified. We won both grants!
At this point, we spoke with everyone we knew about the Habitat for Living & Learning. The hard work of digging and planting was scheduled to begin within months, so we posted the design in the front hall of the school where students, staff, parents, and locals could see it. We spoke about it at local meetings, school events and one-on-one in the community. People in our community were so very kind and we received donations and offers to help with the planting.
One sunny day, three years after my first conversation with the principal and his staff, huge trucks filled with topsoil arrived at the school. Students and staff were lined up three deep at the classroom windows, cheering and waving. It was easily one of the best days of my life.
Everyone — students, staff, and volunteers — worked to spread the topsoil over a series of days. The following week, the trees and the crew from the foundation arrived. Students and teachers worked in shifts alongside the crew for a full day. All day, I heard students ask questions: “Will trees really make our classrooms cooler?” “Why do we have to dig such a deep hole?” “Do we have to water the trees every day?” The crew and volunteers answered every question.
And today? Leafy green trees shade those formerly hot classrooms. Classes are regularly held in the Habitat for Living & Learning. Students read outside in small groups during English. They talk and laugh as they measure the ambient air temperature for an experiment during Science. Budding young photographers take photos during Art.
Word spread about what we had accomplished. Parents from other schools approached us to learn how to do something similar at their schools. I met with interested parents and the local garden club, of which I was also a member, to share resources, tips, and insights. Now most of the schools in our school district have renovated their front yards with the assistance of local volunteers, the local garden club, and eager staff and students. My heart glows every time I walk by one of our transformed schools.
~Darlene Sneden
