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Welcome to AAPS Environmental Education!
Since 1960, the AAPS EE Program has been educating and inspiring students through meaningful learning experiences in the natural environment. Lessons are designed to support and enhance classroom curriculum, most often with specific connections to grade-level life science units. We aim to help students become responsible environmental stewards, with the attitudes, understandings and skills to protect our one and only Earth now and in the future.
Have a question about the program? We would love to hear from you! Contact Dave Szczygiel at 734-368-5539 or szczygie@aaps.k12.mi.us or Coert Ambrosino at 734-474-5277 or ambrosinoc@aaps.k12.mi.us to learn more.
Interested in supporting our work? Please consider becoming a volunteer or contributing to the A2SEEE endowment .
During the 2023-24 school year, we are working to provide field experiences for approximately 500 Young Fives to Seventh Grade and high school environmental science classes across AAPS!
You can find an overview of our 2023-24 program offerings here.
AAPS Families,
Please join us on May 18 at the Freeman Environmental Education Center (3540 Dixboro Lane) for an afternoon of fun and educational activities - trivia, art, native plants, high school student presentations, a Garlic Mustard pull, and more!
Community partners supporting this event include VegMichigan, Ann Arbor Climate Corps, New Roots Institute, and City of Ann Arbor NAP. We will have both indoor and outdoor activities, so please dress for the weather. Long pants and sleeves recommended for the Garlic Mustard pull.
Elementary and middle school students should be accompanied by a parent/guardian.
Please RSVP here!
This event is being planned and facilitated by the Freeman Environmental Youth Council. Thank you to the A2SEEE Fund for providing financial support for Youth Council projects and events like this!
Freeman Environmental Youth Council at the 2024 A2 Climate Teach-In!
Council members served as the opening speakers, introduced break-out sessions, and staffed a table during the networking session!
Environmental Sustainability Framework approved by AAPS Board of Education
In December 2022, the Ann Arbor Public Schools Board of Education approved a robust sustainability framework for the school district, which includes plans for expanded sustainability and environmental justice learning opportunities for students. EE Program staff contributed to the development of the instructional aspects of the plan, and are excited to support the implementation of new lessons throughout the district.
Huron IB Cooperative Science Research Project @ Freeman
In early October 2023, we hosted a large group of students from Huron High School's International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme for a day of experiential learning at Freeman. This year's research topic focused on soil conservation. Check out this AAPS District News story to learn more.
University of Michigan Restoration Ecology Class Visit
In mid October 2023, UM School for Environment and Sustainability and Program in the Environment students from Dr. Sara Adlerstein-Gonzalez's course visited Freeman for a special learning opportunity. Students learned about AAPS EE Program curricula, explored Master's student Esha Biswas' impressive work on our prairie restoration project, and participated in some hands-on service by collecting native grass and flower seeds and planting tree saplings. We continue to collaborate with UM faculty and students in various ways and are grateful for this mutually-beneficial community partnership!
Huron IB Service-Learning; October 19-20, 2023
Students from Huron High School's International Baccalaureate Diploma and Career Programmes planted 30 trees and helped remove invasive woody plants. Learn more in this district news story here.
'A2 Nature Guardians' Summer Day Camp at Freeman
In July 2023, we welcomed two sessions of young campers to spend a week at the Freeman EE Center exploring ecology, restoration, and art concepts through project-based learning activities. Campers contributed to our efforts to improve our native plant gardens and prairie restoration project, created a mural representing the Oak Barren habitat, played ecosystem games, painted prairie animals onto "pet rocks", spent time in the forest, and more!
Prairie Restoration Project Update
We are trialing the use of repurposed billboard vinyl to prepare another section of our prairie study plot project for planting. The material is intended to smother the existing cool-season, non-native turf grass, in preparation for seeding native prairie grass and flower species, traditionally found in local Oak Barren habitats. Our hope is that the heavy-duty vinyl will be durable enough to be reused over many seasons for subsequent planting preparation. Thank you to Eberwhite teacher Fatema Alqamoussi for volunteering to help install the vinyl tarp.
We want to express our gratitude to the 50+ Huron High School students and staff who participated in a day of service at Freeman on April 14, 2023! Students from the International Baccalaureate CP and DP programs helped with trail maintenance, and prepared another section of our front courtyard for planting. They removed non-native and undesirable plants and sheet mulched approximately 600 square feet of garden with cardboard and hardwood mulch to prepare the area for a fall planting of native flowers and grasses. We appreciate you, student volunteers!
Native Plant Propagation at the Freeman EE Center
In 2022, we grew ~400 native flower and grass seedlings and ~80 tree saplings from seed at the Freeman EE Center. This nursery project was an awesome experiential learning opportunity that allowed us to explore seed stratification and germination, the characteristics and growing conditions of a wide range of native plants, and garden design.
The plant material was used to renovate our front courtyard garden.
In 2023, we added an outdoor nursery area and produced approximately 650 herbaceous plant seedlings and 100 tree saplings.
We are using these native plants for restoration and habitat enhancement projects at the Freeman EE Center.
Before
After
Native plants in our front courtyard, in their second growing season (Photo taken July 2023)
Volunteer Spotlight: Deb Nikolas
Deb Nikolas has been serving as a volunteer naturalist for the EE Program since 2015, leading small groups during pond dippings, habitat walks, plant studies, and “Winter Animals” field trips at Kensington Metropark. In fact, the Kensington Nature Center is how she originally got connected with the EE Program, after inquiring about volunteering opportunities. She had experienced field trips to Kensington during her career with Howell Public Schools, and after her retirement, came on board to support first grade visits with AAPS.
Deb is a retired elementary school counselor, and she has both a Masters in Counseling and a private counseling license. Both during her school career and after retirement she has utilized therapy dogs as part of her counseling practice. She still brings her therapy dogs to Howell schools to read with students and visit preschool classrooms. She also volunteers with children who have physical challenges when they ride through Therapuetic Riding Inc. in Ann Arbor.
Deb uses much of what she learns through the EE Program on her own property at home. She loves gardening, and she has learned a great deal from our hikes, and the work happening at the Freeman EE Center that she uses to improve her gardens and what they can offer to wildlife. Deb also loves hiking, kayaking and traveling, and hopes to encourage those hobbies in students.
Thank you Deb, for your service to the EE Program and the local community!
Click HERE to see more volunteer pictures.
Volunteers make this program work! Community volunteers join AAPS teachers and EE staff in the field, sharing extensive knowledge about science and the natural environment. It is thanks to their dedication and participation that these field trips are enjoyable and productive for AAPS students. Thinking of volunteering? Contact Dave Szczygiel at 734-368-5539 or szczygie@aaps.k12.mi.us or Coert Ambrosino at 734-474-5277 or ambrosinoc@aaps.k12.mi.us to learn more.
Get the latest news and consider donating to the Science and Environmental Education Endowment!
Help secure the future of experiential, environmental education in our schools. Learn more by clicking HERE, and thank you!
Website: EE webmaster - Coert Ambrosino; AAPS webmaster- John Stahly