For children growing up today, it is a rare occurrence to play in a stream, visit with chickens, cows, and rabbits, or to cross paths with a garden snake slithering away after taking a warm sun bath. For our students these things happen all the time! Hawks, blue herons, turkeys, foxes, and bluejays are just some of the wonderful creatures that visit our campus on a daily basis. Our beloved community farm is home to beautiful, healthy and strong horses, cows, sheep, and chickens, and our fields are bountiful and lovingly cared for.
“By bolstering children’s attention resources, green spaces may enable children to think more clearly and cope more effectively with life stress,” writes Nancy Wells, assistant professor at the New York State College of Human Ecology
The changing seasons are displayed in every corner of our campus. Our trees change colors in the fall, blankets of snow cover our fields in the winter, and a parade of everblooming flowers, plump and healthy fruits and colorful vegetables runs non-stop throughout the spring and summer. Our students and teachers are surrounded by life at the fullest every single day. Nature’s nourishing and healing rhythms embrace our campus and hold us in warmth constantly.
We are lucky to have more than 100 acres of wooded land at our fingertips, and adventures in the Fairy Stream, the Farm or the school’s Children Garden are frequent. But why is this important?
Research has shown a host of benefits of being outside in nature, and these are just some of them:
Increased feelings of calmness
Increased endorphin levels and dopamine production (promotes happiness!)
Restored capacity for concentration and attention
Reduced symptoms of anxiety and depression
Reduced irritability
Lowered blood pressure and reduced cortisol (stress hormone)
Reduced feelings of isolation
Spending time in nature is restorative, nurtures health, and is also fun! It not only allows for boundless opportunities to explore, and for many adventures to unfold; it is also a true laboratory for ongoing learning.
Our students spend ample time outdoors, from Early Childhood to High School. Natural phenomena are not a “thing” to study, they are first hand experiences to reflect upon. From Nature Stories in the early years, to the rigorous study of the Sciences in middle school and high school, our campus is here to welcome our students to experience, love, and ponder the goodness, beauty, and truth in life. And this is what truly matters to us!
From Nature Stories in the early years, to the rigorous study of the Sciences in middle school and high school, our campus is here to welcome our students to experience, love, and ponder the goodness, beauty, and truth in life.
