Environmental Education

Nature Class for Early Childhood aims to draw upon the innate curiosity of young children to lay the groundwork towards environmental stewardship and connection.  Hands-on experiences outdoors and up-close investigations into the cycles of life around us encourage confidence and connection with nature while supporting the development of foundational naturalist skills, including:  

• Fine and gross motor skills: Students strengthen their bodies as they balance on logs, hike to the top of the forest, and lift stumps to search for bugs. They hone their fine motor skills when they treat insects with care and plant seeds for our gardens.  

• Using senses to make observations and connections: Tasting sour garden sorrel, smelling lemon balm, feeling wet soil and wiggly worms in your hands - these simple acts engage our whole bodies in learning as we build lasting connections to nature. 

• Noticing and identifying patterns and cycles in nature: Students see cycles around them each day as they harvest flowers and fruits in fall, save seeds and observe fallen leaves in winter, and plant new seeds and discover insect eggs in spring. 

• Identifying how our choices and movements impact nature: Stewardship in EC means trying our best to keep ourselves and nature safe as we explore. We help friends when they get stuck in blackberry, use a “Science Finger” to touch nature, and work together to pick up trash around campus.  

• Developing a personal connection to the natural world: Nature Class provides many paths to get to know nature, and each child has opportunities to connect and explore in their own way. Ask your student about their favorite parts of Nature Class in the forest and garden! 

The Environmental Education program for Kindergarten aims to leverage the curiosity of young children to lay the groundwork towards environmental stewardship and connection. Meaningful environmental learning experiences encourage inquiry and connection with nature while supporting the development of foundational naturalist skills, including:  

• Making observations and asking questions to learn more about our surroundings: Students learn how to collect evidence to strengthen their claims. An animal footprint, bite mark, or fallen feather at the scene of a missing vegetable spark curiosity and encourage students to come to conclusions based on their own knowledge and experiences.  
• Making predictions about natural patterns and cycles:  Kindergarten cares for salamander eggs each spring, making predictions about how their bodies and habitat needs might change throughout their life cycle. Students plant seeds for our school garden, monitoring and measuring their growth throughout the season. 
• Identifying how our choices impact nature: In kindergarten, students work together to complete stewardship projects across campus that will benefit our whole community. Planting trees and native plants, clearing invasive species, and weeding in the gardens remind us of the power of community! 
• Developing a personal connection to the natural world: The EE program provides many paths to get to know nature, and each child has opportunities to connect and explore in their own way. From aphids and salamanders to bobcats and berries, there’s something for everyone! 

The Environmental Education program for First and Second Grade aims to foster meaningful relationships between children and the natural world that will encourage environmental and community stewardship. Hands-on environmental learning encourages inquiry and connection with nature while supporting the development of valuable skills, including:  

• Identifying local species and their role in local ecosystems: Each year, student interests and wildlife observations lead us towards a deep dive into a local animal species - Flying squirrels, deer, and salmon to name a few. We work together to understand the gifts of each species, the rich ways they inform local history, and our responsibility to them as environmental stewards.  
• Collecting data and forming conclusions: Local phenomena provide plenty of opportunities for data collection in the forest and gardens. A wind storm, for example, provided students with practical opportunities to consider the role of trees in a forest ecosystem. They made careful observations of fallen trees to determine their species, identify signs of disease and death, and form conclusions about the positive and negative impacts of a windstorm on our forest.   
• Recognizing how our choices impact nature: In First & Second grade, we focus on the positive impact we can have on the environment when we work together. Students support our community by planting trees on campus, stewarding salmon as they grow from egg to fry, and clearing new trails for all to enjoy. 
• Developing a personal connection to the natural world: The EE program provides many paths to get to know nature, and each child has opportunities to connect and explore in their own way. From aphids and salamanders to bobcats and berries, there’s something for everyone! These meaningful relationships provide the foundation for lifelong environmental stewardship. 

The Environmental Education program for 3rd grade students aims to foster meaningful relationships between children and the natural world that inspire environmental and community stewardship. Hands-on environmental learning encourages inquiry and connection with nature while supporting the development of valuable skills, including:   

• Understanding interconnected relationships within ecosystems: Students use their knowledge of local ecosystems to better understand the complex relationships between species and consider the impacts we may have on an ecosystem. What happens when a pollutant enters our watershed, and who is impacted? What do bobcats need in order to feel at home on TLS campus, and how can we help? 

• Collecting data and forming conclusions: In third grade, students build on their understanding of climate change as they analyze historical data to compare to our current lives. Changes in weather impact not only humans, but all plants and animals – collecting data on campus helps us identify species that may need the most support moving forward.   

• Understanding our role as environmental stewards: Students develop a deeper understanding of the importance of our own choices and the impacts they have on ourselves and others. What happens to salamanders if we use the water from the pond for play? What happens to small mammals if we remove all of the invasive blackberry in the forest? 

• Developing a personal connection to the natural world: The EE program provides many paths to get to know nature, and each child has opportunities to connect and explore in their own way. From aphids and salamanders to bobcats and berries, there’s something for everyone! These meaningful relationships provide the foundation for lifelong environmental stewardship. 

The Environmental Education program for 4th-5th grade students aims to foster meaningful relationships between children and the natural world that inspire environmental and community stewardship. Hands-on environmental learning encourages inquiry and connection with nature while supporting the development of valuable skills, including:   

• Collecting, analyzing, and sharing data to form conclusions: Collecting data on invasive species, garden inventory, water quality and more encourage our oldest students to use their leadership skills as they make positive change for their communities. Data collection allows us to identify the best ways to support human and non-human communities! 

• Deepening awareness of local & global climate issues: Our “Steward of the Month” project features inspiring young environmental stewards across the globe with lessons to share on how to spread the word about environmental sustainability. Students deep dive into food systems and how we use natural resources as individuals and in larger communities to better understand the impacts of human decisions. 

• Fostering environmental stewardship in others: Students engage their sense of responsibility and care towards future TLS generations as they invite their buddies along for trash clean ups, share knowledge and sustainability methods through Green Team, and teach our youngest students how to keep plants safe in the gardens.   

• Developing a personal connection to the natural world: The EE program provides many paths to get to know nature, and each child has opportunities to connect and explore in their own way. From aphids and salamanders to bobcats and berries, there’s something for everyone! These meaningful relationships provide the foundation for lifelong environmental stewardship.