Stewarding the World Around Us: The GUS Outdoor School
Years ago, I invited the naturalist Clare Walker Leslie to engage our sixth graders in nature journaling on the GUS nature trail. She emphasized the importance of “knowing your neighbors”—the trees, birds, reptiles, plants, and insects that share the GUS campus with us. This idea has profoundly influenced my teaching approach, highlighting that being a steward of the world begins with an immersion in the natural environment. This inspiration has led to the formation of the GUS Outdoor School.
While we've been conducting outdoor science learning experiences since GUS's inception, naming it the GUS Outdoor School aims to better showcase and expand upon the rich learning experiences that our campus provides students. This initiative will encompass all outdoor science learning, whether it occurs in our outdoor classrooms, on the nature trail, in the stream or wetland, or within our greenhouse.
Research consistently shows that outdoor learning benefits students emotionally and academically. Throughout my years at GUS, I have witnessed this firsthand. Students forge connections between outdoor learning and their experiences, finding peace and calm as they sketch our GUS stream. Collecting pollinator data and comparing it to past records fosters inquiry into broader issues like pesticides and climate change.
So far this school year, outdoor learning is thriving at GUS! GUS students have visited several trustees properties, including Crane Beach, Appleton Farms, and the Monoliths. These trips connect GUS science learning to our broader community. In our amazing greenhouse classroom, 6th graders designed and constructed terrariums to model the water cycle, and 7th graders will soon be challenged with building hydroponic systems. Fifth grade science at GUS has been outside almost every day since the first day of school. These students will soon begin collecting evidence (which will include going into the stream, analyzing and collecting data using stream tables, and studying historic photographs) to determine what has shaped the land on our campus. As part of their study of communities, third graders explored both stream and wetland ecosystems on our campus and then identified and sketched the organisms they found. Soon, they will plant winter wheat together, and as the plants grow, will be able to see first-hand the communities that are part of a garden ecosystem.
The GUS Outdoor School will continue to nurture partnerships with organizations like Essex County Greenbelt and Appleton Farms. By doing this, we gain deeper insights into our community and how we can contribute positively. Tying these experiences to indigenous knowledge, such as the honorable harvest, allows us to honor the plants and animals that have existed on this land for generations. Learning to be stewards in our community lays the groundwork for broader stewardship in the world.