Lake Travis and Eanes ISDs take learning back to nature

The days of elementary school students being stuck behind a desk, daydreaming about recess may be at an end as schools have invested in outdoor education.

Students in the Lake Travis and Eanes ISDs are experiencing the growing phenomenon of outdoor classrooms—spaces outside of the school buildings that are designed for classroom-style activity in subjects ranging from science and math to English, art, music and technology.

"We have had our outdoor classroom for many years now," said Heidi Gudelman, Lake Pointe Elementary School principal. "It's flourishing with life."

The outdoor classrooms contain butterfly life, in particular, and it's not just child's play. Lake Pointe's outdoor classroom is designated as a national wildlife certified habitat and a monarch butterfly waystation—which provides food, water, cover and a place for wildlife to raise their young. Students in each grade level also maintain their own vegetable gardens.

The idea has taken root in other area schools. In Eanes ISD, Forest Trail Elementary School has an outdoor garden and classroom space, Lakeway Elementary School is in the process of creating one for its students, and Bee Cave Elementary School has a butterfly garden.

Lake Travis Elementary School received a grant from the Lake Travis Education Foundation to create a nature center for the school. Serene Hills Elementary School also received a $16,000 grant from the foundation for an outdoor classroom, which is currently under construction. The octagon-shaped structure features a seating area for lessons, performances and outdoor events.

Serene Hills Librarian Helen Dawkins was on the committee that coordinated the construction of Lake Pointe's outdoor classroom and is excited about completing the project at Serene Hills, she said.

"The students are so excited about it," Dawkins said. "They saw this area when it was just grass. We'd come out here sometimes and read, but it was just leveled ground. Once we get the [flower] beds put in and the students can actually start using their hands, that's when the learning takes off."

Preliminary plans are to have each grade create and care for a garden with butterfly plants, wildflowers, vegetables or herbs.

On Nov. 6—Election Day—Serene Hills students held a mock presidential election as well as a real vote on what to call their new space. Serene Harbor was the winning name.

Phase I of Serene Harbor—getting the actual stone structure built—is done. Phase II is under way and involves laying down permanent flooring including wheelchair ramps, adding a shade covering, and setting up a rainwater collection system.

The total cost to complete the project is nearly $30,000, about half of which will be covered by donations to the Parent Teacher Organization. Serene Harbor is projected to be finished sometime in early March.