The Nature Preserve Project began more than a decade ago on a Saturday morning in October when a small group of “nature explorers” ventured into the woody area on the school grounds near the railroad tracks which mark the southern border of our property. At that time, Rondout's current athletic field had been home to an old bus barn and a mobile office trailer. These were removed during the construction of a building addition in 2009-2010. What remained was an expanse of the unexplored woods which called to us to see what treasures lay within.
We discussed a woodland area and a wetland area with no path to travel. That Saturday morning marked the beginning of the long journey to carve the Preserve out of the existing space by removing buckthorn, delineating paths, gathering seeds, and planting native shrubs. Thus began the creation of an outdoor learning space that would provide our students with a living laboratory to explore the wonders of nature. The Preserve was designed to deepen the understanding of natural habitats and make hands-on minds-on learning come alive. The Nature Preserve now provides an outdoor classroom space, wetland, prairie, and woodland habitats to explore.
There were many steps along the way and strong partners who helped bring this to life. Impact Networking, Integrated Lakes Management, several Eagle Scouts, and local volunteers were key to this development. In the autumn of 2022 Rondout Woods Nature Preserve was officially opened. After many years of diligent work by our school community, the Nature Preserve was ready for our students allowing us to fully incorporate the valuable learning activities available by design.
Engaging with Nature can have a powerful impact on our well-being physically and mentally. Scientific studies have shown the positive effects spending time in Nature has on our overall wellness not to mention the wonderful authentic learning that our Preserve supports.
We look forward to the joyful changes each season brings to our Nature Preserve and to the relevant and meaningful learning that it affords including the added benefits to everyone’s physical and mental well-being. It is an educational dream come true and impacts our school community in a multitude of ways connecting students with nature in life-changing ways for themselves and for the planet.
“We still do not know one thousandth of one percent of what nature has revealed to us” - Albert Einstein
