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For the most part, the term “Outdoor Education” speaks for itself, especially when you consider our campus here at Springmont! Our little farm, the gardens, and everything that goes with those make it easy to imagine what we do in Outdoor Education, but where’s the science? 

Well, sometimes it’s self-evident. For example, our Middle School students attend our annual vet visit. The vet speaks to our students about life as a veterinarian and the science behind how and why she treats our animals. Each animal (yes, this includes every chicken!) gets a thorough once-over with the students handling the animals while the vet provides their vaccinations and anti-parasitic medications.

But at other times, perhaps the science isn’t quite so obvious. Have you ever wondered why the compost pile generates gentle clouds of steam in the cold air? It’s a byproduct of happy microbes breaking down all the organic material in the pile! Students are encouraged to use thermometers to test the compost temperature across the seasons. Other examples of science in outdoor education include soil testing to determine whether the soil needs amending before we plant the season’s crops, and if so, what do we need to add? What are its deficiencies? We also conduct water studies at the little creek below the lower Field. Students figure out which watershed our creek belongs to, what properties make up the creek, and what lives in it. The study of macroinvertebrates is a student favorite!

One of my favorite campus features is the Springmont weather station. Behind the Elementary/Middle School building near the chicken coop is our recently upgraded weather station! It is connected to Weather Underground, so students can keep an eye on our weather stats here on campus no matter where they are! The site maintains historical data that students can access and study. Students can look not only at temperature data but also humidity and UV levels, rainfall, wind speed, barometric pressure, and dew points for the last week, month, and eventually year! 

The possibilities for exploring science outdoors are endless and don’t need to involve complex theories or experiments. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of observing a column of ants marching through a garden or watching the different types of clouds move across the sky – these experiences are often just enough to spark curiosity, questions, and research!