Why sit in a classroom and write poems about flowers, when you
could be out
among the flowers when you write? There you could smell them,
feel them,
examine them in more detail.

That’s just what elementary school students in DeKalb County are
doing.

“We’ve helped develop nature trails at about 35 or 40 of DeKalb
County’s 70
elementary schools,” said DeKalb County Extension Agent Christi
Gaasch.

Financial support from an Urban Resources Partnership grant
helped fund a
position to design and develop trails and to write curriculum
materials to help
teachers use the trail to teach.

“Successful nature trails have certain key elements,” Gaasch
said. “You can’t just
have a trail that begins at the back of the ballfield and
wanders a few feet through
the woods.”

She considers these elements essential:

* A permanent, committed, influential member of the staff, like
the principal or
assistant principal, must support the effort.

* The trail has to be available to all teachers. Curricula have
to be written so
teachers can use it as part of their classroom.

* Most of the successful nature trails are integrated into the
whole school
landscape rather than being just a path behind the school. They
include
landscaping in front, behind and around the school as part of
the trail.

* Give the trail a name. Almost all the successful trails have a
sign that designates
the name of the trail and makes them a distinct part of the
school structure.

“It’s important to include all of the students in the design and
building of the
trail,” Gaasch said. “Plan days for each grade to participate so
they all feel a sense
of ownership toward the trail.”

She also recommends including teachers, parents or the PTA.

Nature trails vary in size and scope.

“They aren’t just trails through the woods. They have learning
places on them,”
Gaasch said. “They have a place where there is a dead tree and
you look for birds,
or a stream where you can look for animal tracks. They have
purpose. They’re
not just winding trails.”