​Rain Gardens: Living Labs for Outdoor Student Learning

As the weather warms up and the flowers start to bloom, the American Littoral Society’s Delaware Bayshore team got busy bringing students out to their school rain gardens for some outdoor exploration!
 
Recently, our team visited Anthony Rossi Elementary School in Vineland, and Buckshutem Road and Indian Avenue Schools in Bridgeton to bring interactive, STEM-based outdoor experiences to their classrooms. Through these programs, students and teachers were encouraged to try new things, learn new skills, and make connections with nature right outside their door.
 
With magnifying glasses in hand, children got to discover that their rain garden is full of life by peeking under a leaf, digging in the dirt, and listening for buzzing bees! Students became scientists, using the rain garden as a living laboratory for learning and discovery.

They also learned that rain gardens do more than make great habitats, providing food, water, and shelter that living things need to survive. Rain gardens are also nature-based solutions that capture rainwater as it falls from the sky, helping water soak into the ground for plants, animals, and people who need it.
 
Students also took part in weeding, mulching, and planting new in their garden to foster a sense of ownership and pride in their outdoor learning space. As part of that they learned how the individual pieces of the garden mimic nature to capture and reuse rainwater, as well as how the gardens can provide flood protection, pollution prevention, and water conservation.
 
Check out these photos from our recent rain garden adventures!