TL;DR:
- Earth Day is celebrated annually on April 22nd.
- When considering outdoor education, it is important to think about safety, seating, and work surfaces.
Earth Day happens every year on April 22 to commemorate the modern environmental movement that began in 1970.
Until then there was no EPA, no Clean Air or Water Act. The first Earth Day was actually March 21, 1970, the vernal (spring) equinox, which is the beginning of the spring season.
Every year, schools, educators, and communities come together to celebrate Earth Day. But why stop with just one day of activities, celebration, and activism? Using the outdoors for educational opportunities is a beautiful way to embrace, connect, and make every day Earth Day!
Whether you are interested in a temporary change of scenery, ready to go exclusively outdoors, or somewhere in between, let’s unpack the possibilities together!
Using the outdoors for educational opportunities is a beautiful way to embrace, connect, and make every day Earth Day! Click To TweetOne common misconception of outdoor education is that you need a full-blown, outfitted space.
This could not be further from the truth. In fact, I would venture to say that a minimal setup works well if not best. Oftentimes, we get stuck in this idea of what education and meeting spaces are supposed to be rather than what they could be.
Being able to use a single space or multiple spaces in different configurations and ways is essential to outdoor education. I am not saying that full-fledged setups aren’t great or desirable. Who wouldn’t want to have a well-planned space equipped with supplies? What I really want you to understand and be open to is the fact that any space can work.
Some common things to think about are safety, seating, and work surfaces.
Safety
I think about using the outdoors as a field trip. What common items do you take with you when you plan an off-campus trip? Medical kits and emergency plans are the first things that I think of and they are important for outdoor education.
Whether you are going outside for 15 minutes, an entire class period, or planning to be outside exclusively, consider having a medical kit that you can carry with you. I wear a tool belt that holds a small medical kit and commonly used items.
Before venturing outside, you will want to survey the area you plan to use for possible hazards. This will help you prepare your learners ahead of time. Surprises will happen, but we are educators after all. A lot of our mental energy each day is dedicated to adapting to the conditions we encounter each moment.
Seating
Tree stump stools, towels, cutting boards, overturned buckets, overturned milk or storage crates, deck boxes, and the ground are commonly used items, in my experience, when no formal seating is already provided or available. They are also very affordable and somewhat mobile; you can move them where you want. The exception here being some tree stump stools.
At my school, I was able to partner with a local tree removal service that donated 20 large oak stump stools. These double as stools and desks, depending on learner need and preference. In the event of early morning dew or precipitation, my learners use cutting boards to place on top of the stools. These cutting boards also double as lap desks when needed. I prefer to have seating that can double as a stool or desk so that we do not need to have double the furniture. This greatly depends on your community, your learners.
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Work Surfaces
Commonly used items are folding tables, clipboards, sturdy notebooks, stools that double as a flat surface, the ground, window ledges, wooden or composite structures. These all, similar to the seating, can be used in many different ways.
One of the keys to outdoor education and equipment is the flexibility of use. If an item can be used in more than one way, you end up with fewer items.
Many schools opt for convertible items, such as stools that convert to tables and vice versa. For me, if there are moving parts, I know to expect them to break.
No matter your comfort or experience level with outdoor education, I am glad you are on this journey to celebrate Earth Day, every day.
Do you need resources to help get started? Check out www.outdooreducationcollective.com for lessons, activities, videos, blogs, podcasts, and books to inspire, motivate, and enhance your use of the outdoors!
About Becky Schnekser
Becky is an educator explorer with experience in PK-5, public and private, all subject areas. Currently, she prides herself on teaching field and expedition-style science to K-5 explorers in Virginia. Her passion resides in authentic experiences to educate learners of all ages and all subject areas. When not with young scientists in the field, she spends time around the world completing fieldwork with scientists in places like the Peruvian Amazon, Galapagos, and Iceland.
