Education and Biodiversity
The creation of an outdoor classroom as part of an integrated approach to address biodiversity loss aspires to bring people together to engage in the natural world. The educational infrastructure of the project attempts to create a sense of purpose for the space, where activities and lessons can be developed based on the specific parameters of the design.
Outdoor learning offers many benefits for teachers and students alike. Providing a natural space to present and teach information about the world around them can become more meaningful in an outdoor classroom. This setting helps to address issues related to biodiversity which can help students connect and better understand its importance to the ecosystems. What’s more, outdoor education and natural learning environments have been proven to decrease sedentary behaviors, improve concentration levels and encourage children to be more physically active.
The group proposes to use the existing layout of the plot to further develop the space into a classroom setting. Each section will be transformed to emphasize a particular learning set up; each with different purposes. The overall goal is to create a fully functional outdoor classroom where several different groups can come together simultaneously to use the space for learning.
With the help of outdoor installations from sustainable and renewable resources various learning areas are to be created. Depending on the strip concept, the areas can be set up like a normal classroom with sitting areas and a blackboard, or divided into smaller sections for group work or a plenum for discussions and interaction.
Participation
Students can participate from the very beginning and help with the construction of the installations. Two different projects are planned for the beginning.
Insect Hotel: An excellent project to teach students about the importance of the many small creatures that are essential for the preservation of the ecosystem. In addition, the students can contribute to the construction of the area, which will allow them to become more engaged with it. The insect hotels can be built using inexpensive and sustainable materials, can be personalized by the builders, and bring a different way of working and learning into the school day.
Tree Stump Mosaic: The outdoor classroom infrastructure will be constructed using reclaimed wood from tree stumps of trees previously cut down. These stumps will be trimmed and sanded down in order to provide a comfortable seat for students and users when engaging with the site. In order to offer a more colorful and inviting space, some of the stumps will be decorated with a mosaic tile design, using discarded and reclaimed tiles from a nearby recuperation center. High school students and interested volunteers will be invited to come to the site and work to create design on their tree stumps for the use of the outdoor classroom.
Once the basic features are installed on the site, teachers can use the site with their classes for their lessons. For this purpose, we have compiled a collection of didactic materials that have been adapted and tested for the outdoor classroom environment.
