Casey Trees just wrapped up another successful year of Nature Near Schools programming! Supported by funding from the Department of Energy and the Environment, this program helps kids learn about the environment through standards-aligned lessons that get them out of the classroom and connect them to the natural spaces right in their communities.
This year, our educators worked with over 340 fourth graders across nine schools: Drew, Malcolm X, Simon, Plummer, Garfield, Langdon, Garrison, Payne, and Turner elementary schools. We’re grateful to the incredible teachers and staff who welcomed us into their schools!
Learning Through Real-World Investigation
Our Nature Near Schools program followed a Meaningful Watershed Educational Experience (MWEE), where fourth graders engaged with the question, “What human actions impact our ecosystems and how can we protect those ecosystems?” This involved five experiences throughout the school year, including outdoor field investigations, a field trip, and a student-led action project.
Fun activities also included building a watershed model, testing pervious and impervious surfaces in their school yards, and cleaning up trash pollution. Students especially enjoyed creating a “trash timeline,” where they placed common trash materials in order from quickest to slowest to decompose. Class after class was shocked to learn that a simple plastic fork could exist in our environment for 200 to 500 years!
Getting Out Into Nature
To deepen their understanding, we took students on field trips to the US National Arboretum and Anacostia Park. At the Arboretum, students dove into the wonderful world of trees as we followed the winding path of the Anacostia River. They discovered nature’s beauty, but also learned the not-so-pretty truth about where trash ends up when it’s not thrown away properly.
At Anacostia Park, students got up close to their local watershed. With help from Anacostia Riverkeeper, they took a boat tour to see wildlife and the effects of pollution firsthand. The trip also included a stop at the Aquatic Resources Education Center to meet many of the creatures that call the Anacostia home, including Snappy the giant snapping turtle!
Taking Action in Their Communities
Armed with new knowledge, students put their learning into action by identifying and tackling environmental issues specific to their school or community. Many chose trash pollution, but they approached it in different ways. Some wrote to elected officials, others created impassioned educational posters, and some organized trash clean-ups.
With support from our youth programs forester, two schools—Payne and Garfield Elementary—planted trees on their campus. For Payne students, this was especially significant as they worked to replace drought-stricken trees that they had planted as 2nd graders two years earlier. At Garfield, we partnered with FarmFresh Foodprints to plant a fruit tree orchard in their school garden, adding both a delicious harvest and a way to manage stormwater.
Throughout the program, students learned that their voices and choices make a real difference.
Why It Matters
Students often say they “love learning outside” and ask “why can’t we do this all the time?”— underlining what makes Nature Near Schools so special. In addition to inspiring environmental stewardship, the program also supports student growth and fosters a love for learning.
But last month, all this programming was put at risk when it was cut from the initial DC budget for FY 2026. While the DC Council Committee on Transportation and the Environment has proposed restoring it, Councilman Phil Mendelson needs to hear from DC residents. You can send a letter to your councilmembers using our form here and tell them to prioritize this funding in the final budget.
This programming doesn’t happen in isolation! Casey Trees undertook Nature Near Schools with a cohort of environmental education providers, including Urban Adventure Squad, Anacostia Watershed Society, Nature Forward, and Living Classrooms. As collaborators, we developed meaningful content and ultimately served nearly 1,200 fourth graders at 28 Title I DCPS and public charter schools.
