Outdoor Learning Takes Root—and Blossoms
Over the past year and a half, while construction crews have been creating new learning spaces inside the academic buildings—such as the IDEA Center and Performing Arts Center—steady transformation has been taking place in the School’s “outdoor classroom,” too.
In line with the Experiential Education Master Plan, significant portions of our 360-acre campus have been cleared of invasive, non-native overgrowth. In 2015 and 2016, honeysuckle was removed from the East Woods and from around the two ponds in the northwest corner of campus. As soon as a path to the ponds was cleared last spring, our intrepid middle schoolers organized a rowboat race with three wooden boats they had built during an exploratory class. Since then, the students have built a dock, four wooden boxes to attract wood ducks, and periscopes to help view underwater pond life and activity. The fact that two river otters have been spotted in ponds indicates that the habitat is in excellent condition. Eventually, the aim is to establish a pond ecology learning program that the students themselves can deliver to visiting students from other schools.
A few weeks ago, the cleared areas around the pond were seeded with about 25 different native prairie plants and grasses. “The most beautiful and appropriate species were selected,” explains Outdoor Learning Coordinator Doug Hoff, ticking off prairie blazing star, gray-headed coneflower, partridge pea, and little bluestem. He and Sustainability Coordinator and Upper School science teacher Lynne Scott (C’01) are excited to see what else blossoms this spring, now that seeds lying in the soil for decades have enough space, light, and water to spring to life again. And with a hidden creek uncovered by the clearing process, Hoff notes that students will be able to research several ecosystems—savannah/prairie, woodland, pond, wetland, and stream—all within a 10-minute walk of each other.
An On-Campus Orchard
Meanwhile, on the opposite end of campus, facing Clayton Road, a new permaculture orchard is taking shape—literally. One of the principles of permaculture is to work with—and within—the existing terrain, so the swales (for natural water collection and drainage) and berms (for planting) carefully follow the contours of the slope.
“Permaculture systems are an excellent example of sustainability in action,” says Scott. “While a typical orchard would normally have one species of tree in it, our orchard will have multiple fruit tree species and will incorporate companion plants that provide necessary nutrient inputs into the soil as well as plants that are natural pest deterrents.”
This project is being funded by a generous alumni donor. The students in the Sustainability class, taught by Scott and colleague Ross Furbush (US’11), will have primary responsibility for the orchard. For the last two weeks, they have been hard at work, mixing compost into the soil in preparation for planting. The class has also been pulling in other students—Upper School Crews as well as Lower and Middle School volunteers—to participate.
A Multidisciplinary Outdoor Classroom
With 360 acres at its disposal, Principia students have multiple opportunities to take their science learning outdoors. In fact, one of the ecological restoration contractors exclaimed, “This place is absolutely incredible—and to have this in the middle of such an urban environment is amazing!”
But it’s not all about science. The School has invested in a multiyear partnership with the Teton Science Schools, which is supporting teachers throughout the School to connect people, nature, and place in learning across disciplines. As Hoff notes, the outdoors offers plenty of natural learning opportunities for math, language arts, and art, too. For example, the changing seasons provide new inspiration and opportunities for mapping, drawing, painting, and poetry writing.
“Learning how to make optimal educational use of our campus—as well as our location as part of the greater St. Louis community—will infuse Principia academics with relevance, immediacy, and multiple opportunities for hands-on, integrated learning,” says Head of School Travis Brantingham (US’94, C’98).
The overall goal of the experiential education and sustainability efforts, Scott says, is “to maximize ecosystem diversity to provide students with the richest possible learning opportunities.These opportunities will be broad—expanding throughout our community with partnerships with local organizations and schools.”