Outdoor Classrooms

Each Spring, more than two hundred students from local elementary schools learn about rocks, bugs, and the freshly budding trees and plants in the Oredson-Todd Woods. The program, “Loving the Land,” is coordinated by the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy.  It is made possible with support from the Oregon Parks Foundation Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation and the Rogue Valley Audubon Society.

“Kids just love to get outside this time of year,” says staff member Kristi Mergenthaler. “We’re excited to offer this great opportunity to learn about nature each year, especially given school budget cuts.  We encourage the kids to explore their outdoor classroom on all different levels.  Afterward, they get to bring their parents out - and teach them, too!”

Fourth and fifth grade students rotate through three activity stations located along the trails in the Oredson-Todd Woods, learning first-hand about the water, rocks, bugs and plants - all with the guidance of trained volunteers.

In five years, more than 1,100 students from throughout the Rogue Valley have attended this program.

The Southern Oregon Land Conservancy has conserved a number of other lands that are regularly used as outdoor classrooms, including:
•    White Oak Farm,
•    Alder Creek Children’s Forest,
•    The Jacksonville Woodlands,
•    Eagle Mill Farm, and
•    C2 Ranch.