Studies show that being outside in nature has the ability to calm and heal. Spending as little as 15 minutes in nature lowers cortisol stress levels and blood pressure. Nature helps foster our creativity and observation skills. With the increase of screen time, we often forget to unplug and head outside.
Our need to reconnect with nature is critical. More schools are being creative and getting students outside. Some are reimagining their outdoor playspace. Moorestown Friends School’s newly renovated Playscape features natural wooden elements where students can climb, perch, hop, and play. Surrounding the Playscape are native plants for pollinators.
Moorestown Friends School “old” playground before the renovation into a Playscape.
Moorestown Friends School’s "new” Playscape area uses natural elements for students to interact.
Other schools, like Reading High School (RHS), renovated an interior courtyard that was formerly abandoned, turning it into a welcoming outdoor classroom.
This transformation didn’t happen overnight. In 2017, RHS’ interior courtyard was in disrepair – locked, littered, and full of invasive weeds. It was not a place to learn.
Reading High School “before” renovation of the courtyard.
RHS science teacher, Jeannine Michel, saw an opportunity to turn this space into something grander and greener. RHS hired Boyer Sudduth as consultants to help with this process, meeting with teachers and students to re-imagine this space.
On May 26, 2022, RHS celebrated with a “grand opening” of the courtyard. The “new” courtyard boasts tables and stools built by RMCTC students. RHS’s art students designed colorful murals. Native plants attract birds and butterflies. Students assembled raised garden beds and built a compost bin. A pond is home to turtles and fish. Discarded roof tiles were upcycled to provide a “hardscaped” area. The school’s collective efforts led to RHS receiving a bronze level award through National Wildlife Federation’s Eco-School program, and the school is now looking to achieve the next level of certification.
Reading High School’s “after” courtyard renovations with student murals and upcycled tiles.
Michel’s dream became a reality. She notes, “We wanted to create a space where every teacher of each subject could use the space just as they would in their classroom and be able to enjoy the beauty of nature while teaching!”
Moorestown Friends and Reading High exemplify how hard work, determination, and imagination can create outside spaces that connect students to nature. What better way to develop future stewards of the environment?
For more information about RHS’ transformation, see this brief news clip.
Article by Mary Ann Boyer of Boyer Sudduth Environmental Consultants, June 2022.
This article is also published in PAISBOA’s Friday Flyer Vol. XI, No. 10 - June 10, 2022
