Before Hillside Intermediate School was built, the property was an apple orchard (though before that, it was likely all woodlands). By the time I arrived for 4th grade in 1999, however, much of the school’s property, developed on the hillside, was grass fields and parking lots. One of the first things I did at the beginning of the school year was join the Environmental Club. Led by a wonderful teacher named Katrina Macht, the club was slowly converting about 7 acres of land into a nature preserve. The goal was for this space to be used by students and teachers to interact with the environment and try a different approach to teaching and hands-on learning.
Now, I was not a great student. I didn’t act out in class, but I had trouble sitting still and focusing. I had a lot of bottled up energy that is difficult to contain when you’re sitting at a desk most of the day. It just didn’t work great for me. However, I was enamored by this growing habitat we were restoring. I was in boy scouts, so I already enjoyed being outdoors, but I fell in love with watching the wildlife return to what was once a barren field of grass. I also thrived in our club, where my involvement and that of my very supportive family meant volunteering at workdays throughout the year to care for our growing trees, wetlands, and trails. We volunteered at events throughout the year, including the club’s main fundraising event, Forest Fest. I continued contributing to Hillside’s backyard well into middle school and beyond.
Katrina Macht observed the positive impact that the Environmental Club and outdoor activities had on me. When we stepped outside, I was focused, determined, and driven. It turns out sitting at a desk all day long wasn’t for me and getting more hands-on and physical with my educational experience encouraged me to learn much more.
The club and program at Hillside was a huge success, gaining a reputation for its rehabilitation of the property and intertwining the space with the students’ curriculum. Eventually, the school received recognition from the Jane Goodall Institute for its efforts and it was around this time that Hillside became a Roots & Shoots School, further strengthening its dedication to empowering students to create positive change for people, animals, and the environment. Jane Goodall was even invited to our Forest Fest and in 2002 I was one of the lucky few to give her a tour of our trails, gardens, and wetlands. It was a surreal experience.
Looking back, I was incredibly lucky. Even as a public school, we had the resources and support of the community to create this beautiful outdoor learning space that I still volunteer at to this day. But many kids are not so fortunate. Their schoolyards often consist of large grass fields, typically kept that way due to ‘lowering maintenance costs’. Many urban schools have completely paved over their property, with trees and plants sparingly placed throughout, if at all. And to make matters worse, many students do not have equal access to green spaces. Whether it’s a lack of time, money, or proximity to a natural environment, we’ve made it harder for children to experience nature.
Lack of exposure to nature can limit one’s understanding of the world around them. I’ve heard and experienced first-hand, moments where students are afraid of worms, birds, and bugs all because they’ve gone most of their lives not being able to familiarize themselves with nature. Many high schoolers don’t realize the opportunities they have in environmental fields, where we need differing perspectives and energized ideas.
Sometimes I feel like my experience is pretty anecdotal. I was at the right school, at the right time with the right resources . But the more teachers and communities I’ve listened to, the more concrete my opinion that students need these opportunities to experience not only the outdoors, but alternative educational experiences. Without these opportunities, we’re doing a disservice to our students, communities, and ultimately our future.
Together, we hope to help schools restore their schoolyards into outdoor classrooms. By investing in these spaces, we are investing in the well-being and potential of our children, ensuring they grow up with a deeper understanding and appreciation for the natural world. Let’s work together to bring these vital opportunities to every school and every student, for the benefit of both our children and our planet.