HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Whitesburg Middle School students helped build their new hands-on outdoor classroom on Thursday.
The event brought everyone together to create a butterfly garden, sensory garden, frog and toad habitat, and more, as part of a project designed to bring nature-based learning to life.
The outdoor classroom, developed in partnership with the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s Outdoor Classroom (OC) Program, aims to give students the opportunity to engage with nature and environmental science in a real-world setting.
"This is a community effort and we want it to be something that everyone can enjoy. So that's the reason why we're doing it," said Principal William King. "You can see the the impact that it's the number of kids that are out there helping, the number of adults from the community helping as well."'
Throughout the day, volunteers worked side-by-side with students to build a variety of outdoor learning stations, including spaces where students will be able to observe the full life cycle of butterflies, track bird and butterfly migrations, and learn about the importance of preserving habitats for Alabama’s native wildlife.
One student shared their hopes for the new outdoor classroom. "I hope it's gonna help kids learn about the outside because kids need to touch it more," they said. "I feel like they need this at middle school. 'Cause kids just like to stay on their computers and stuff and don't really like to come outside, so I feel like it can help them."
Whitesburg Middle’s outdoor classroom is part of a larger effort by the Alabama Outdoor Classroom Program to provide schools across the state with hands-on learning opportunities that combine subjects like science, math, and environmental education.
Currently, more than 350 schools across Alabama are participating in the program.
