Words by Jenny Lynn Davis | Images by Ryan McGill
Students, faculty, staff, and community volunteers rolled up their sleeves on Thursday to bring an outdoor classroom to life at Carbon Hill Elementary School.
“This has been a work in progress for some time,” said Principal Amy Atkins. “Our 21st Century program initially took over the space a few years ago and introduced some great projects like raised beds, frogs, turtles, and fish, but we really wanted it to become a schoolwide effort.”
To do that, the school formed an outdoor classroom committee with representatives from different grade levels. Together, they combed through curriculum standards, looking for ways the space could support hands-on learning across grade levels. That’s when they connected with Allison Mathis of the Alabama Wildlife Federation.
“I work with the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s Outdoor Classroom program,” Mathis explained. “We help schools across the state create outdoor classrooms by installing learning stations, some that are habitat-based, like a butterfly garden or frog and toad habitat, and some that are topic-based, like a sundial or decomposition station.”
Mathis worked closely with the Carbon Hill outdoor classroom committee to design the site, tailoring each element to meet both spatial constraints and academic goals.
On May 1, students, teachers, and volunteers spent the day planting native species, hauling limestone, digging, weeding, and assembling learning stations across the designated area.
The newly built classroom includes a sensory garden, student sundial, butterfly and pollinator beds, weather station, frog and toad habitat, sound and music station, and multiple wheelchair-accessible gardens. The completed components are enough for the school to begin the process of certifying the space through the Alabama Wildlife Federation.
“As long as the school maintains the stations and actively uses the space for learning, they can certify through our program. That means they become a model for other schools in the area,” Mathis said.
Funding and material contributions came from the Walker County Soil and Water Conservation District, Walker County Forestry Planning Committee, Walker County Farmers Federation, Walker County District 2 Commission, 21st Century After School and Summer Program, and Oak Valley Landscaping. WL
