JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — To celebrate World Water Day on Tuesday, kids at Julington Creek Elementary School got to step outside of the classroom to learn all about our plants and animals thanks to a partnership with Creekside High School.
It was an old-school day of kids getting their hands dirty with sand, plants, paint, water, and it was all part of Tuesday’s outdoor lesson at Julington Creek Elementary.
“It’s finally in like two years, we get to play and be interactive with other kids,” said 4th grader Avery Richardson.
Grants from partners like Wells Fargo helped pay for the supplies, while students from Creekside High School’s Environmental Science and Teaching Academies were the brains behind these immersive projects.
“There’s a lot of kids that are here and really excited to learn,” said 11th grader Nathan Laflamme.
He taught Richardson and other kids how to care for native plant species, and how important they are to our ecosystem.
“It all starts from the ground up,” he said. “So when we have native plants, they keep the root system and all the water clean. They attract the native animals, [like] pollinators, bees, butterflies, [and] hummingbirds.”
Richardson looked back on what she learned, saying, “Even though bees can sting, you still have to let them live.”
More than 200 elementary school kids and more than 30 high school kids made the outdoor classroom possible, with the high schoolers teaching kids how to be better stewards of the environment by doing hands-on activities like planting their own vegetables.
“If students see something that they personally value, they in turn will also find value in protecting that resource in the future,” said Ali Pressel, Environmental Educator at Creekside High School Environmental Sciences Academy.
Richardson even got to take home her very own carrot.
“Man, this might help me plant a vegetable garden!” she pointed out.
If you’re a parent in St. Johns County, who thinks your elementary school student could benefit from an outdoor classroom experience, “Just reach out to some of the teachers directly and see if any of them are interested,” Pressel added.
These students are taking away a lesson in awareness and responsibility that could maybe even transfer to some bigger picture goals, too!
“It was really good and I feel like it could carry on,” Richardson said.
“Maybe I could plant stuff and maybe it’s a test run to get a puppy!” she added with a smile.
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