Dr. G.W. Carver Elementary School
2024-2025
National Wildlife Federation EcoSchools U.S.
Green Flag Certification Application Portfolio of Work
Carver completed 10 Actions, earned 150 points,
and was awarded the Green Flag on June 5, 2025
Embedded Files
Principal's Impact Statement
Principal's Impact Statement
At Carver Elementary, Outdoor Education is more than an initiative—it’s a vital part of who we are. It shapes the way we teach, how our students learn, and how we grow together as a school community. Through our commitment to place-based learning and environmental literacy, we have seen measurable gains in academics, behavior, and school culture.
After just one year of implementing our schoolwide Outdoor Education initiative aligned with the EcoSchools framework, our 5th grade science scores improved by 18%. Students engage deeply with NGSS-aligned content by using the natural environment as a living classroom. They participate in real-world investigations, contribute to citizen science projects like iNaturalist and the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, and apply scientific reasoning to explore local ecosystems. Their ability to collect data, analyze findings, and understand complex environmental systems has grown significantly.
Outdoor learning has also led to positive shifts in student behavior. Office referrals have decreased, and teachers report increased focus, cooperation, and self-regulation following time spent outdoors. For many students, especially those who struggle in traditional settings, nature has opened doors to success through exploration, movement, and hands-on learning.
Most importantly, our students have developed a strong and lasting connection to nature and a clear sense of stewardship. They take pride in documenting and protecting the biodiversity of our campus—home to over 240 documented species. They confidently identify local flora and fauna, advocate for sustainable practices, and engage in meaningful conversations about conservation, pollution, and habitat preservation. Stewardship is not just something they are learning—it is something they live.
Our pursuit of EcoSchools Green Flag certification reflects our deep belief that environmental education is essential to preparing thoughtful, informed, and compassionate leaders. At Carver Elementary, we are proud of the transformation we’ve seen and the stewards we are raising—one outdoor experience at a time.
Karen Smith, Principal
Dr. George Washington Carver Elementary
"Wetlands" By Hailey T., 4th Grade Student
State Winner, River of Words
Overview of Carver's Pursuit of the Green Flag
ABOUT CARVER
G.W. Carver Upper Elementary, serving 675 4th and 5th grade students, is located within the biodiverse Ogeechee River Basin in Richmond Hill, Georgia—a region rich in coastal wetlands, longleaf pine ecosystems, and native wildlife. As part of our school’s commitment to place-based learning and environmental stewardship, Carver offers a dedicated Outdoor Education program where every student participates in weekly, student led field studies that connect science content to real-world ecological inquiry. Students explore campus habitats including a constructed wetland, pollinator gardens, bioswale, woodland trails, and open meadows as living laboratories for hands-on learning. In addition to Outdoor Ed, students engage in Camp Wildcat, a weekly enrichment block focused on leadership, exploration, and collaborative problem-solving. Through Camp Wildcat, student leaders, The Guardians of the Triangle, take the lead on EcoSchools projects—conducting research, managing habitat zones, and guiding our school through the 7-Step Framework. These immersive programs have positioned Carver as a statewide model for student-led environmental education grounded in joy, wonder, exploration, and stewardship.
As a school deeply rooted in its ecological landscape, Carver is proud to pursue EcoSchools U.S. Green Flag Certification through a year-long commitment to environmental learning, student stewardship leadership, and whole-school engagement. Carver has an outstanding well established EcoSchools program where environmental learning and action is a foundation of our school culture and extends beyond our school walls.
ABOUT ECOSCHOOLS AND CARVER"S CONNECTION TO THE ECOSCHOOLS FRAMEWORK
EcoSchools U.S., a program of the National Wildlife Federation, provides a curriculum-linked framework that empowers schools to assess, plan, and take action toward sustainability. At Carver, this work is driven by our student leadership group, the Guardians of the Triangle, our weekly Camp Wildcat program, and our robust Outdoor Education program—which engages all 675 4th and 5th grade students in regular hands-on environmental and conservation education. EcoSchools U.S. Certification will be an annual focus of Carver’s Outdoor Education program, guided by the EcoSchools 7-Step Certification Process, beginning with our student-led Guardians of the Triangle Action Team and supporting our schoolwide EcoCode.
This year, Carver worked to complete action projects aligned with the EcoSchools Wildlife and Biodiversity theme. These actions support key goals:
Cultivate environmental literacy and student inquiry,
Restore, create, and enhance wildlife habitats across our 50-acre campus,
Foster student agency and stewardship through authentic research and fieldwork,
Promote systems thinking through community-based conservation.
Our work is rooted in the EcoSchools Framework, emphasizing place-based learning, action competency, and systems thinking. We are proud to connect our efforts to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)—specifically:
SDG 4: Quality Education — Embedding environmental learning into core curricula and fostering inclusive, student-led inquiry.
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation — Monitoring and improving water quality through Adopt-A-Stream surveys and bioswale restoration.
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities — Building green schoolyards, pollinator gardens, and rain gardens that enhance local resilience.
SDG 13: Climate Action — Reducing waste through composting, mitigating runoff, and stabilizing campus microclimates.
SDG 14: Life Below Water — Restoring aquatic habitats, raising and releasing native fish, and tracking macroinvertebrate diversity.
SDG 15: Life on Land — Expanding terrestrial and riparian biodiversity through invasive removal, habitat creation, and species surveys.
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals — Collaborating with community groups, universities, and government agencies to co-create and sustain environmental actions.
Carver’s teachers, administrators, staff, and families contribute through classroom connections, material donations, volunteering, and school-wide events like Earth and Arts Night. Our school’s commitment is visible in our actions, our campus, and our culture. The EcoSchools 7-Step Process has provided a powerful roadmap for our student-led transformation—and the Green Flag is our shared goal, but also our launchpad for continued growth.
Develop an Action Plan: Carver's Portfolio of Student Work
At Carver Elementary, our EcoSchools Action Plan is the foundation of our schoolwide commitment to environmental learning, student leadership, and biodiversity conservation. Guided by the EcoSchools U.S. 7-Step Process and the principles of the EcoSchools Framework, our Action Plan is designed to be student-driven, place-based, and solutions-oriented. Each project within the plan addresses a local environmental issue—such as habitat loss, stormwater runoff, or biodiversity decline—while also connecting to global movements like the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life on Land), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Developed through collaboration between students, educators, and our community partners, our Action Plan reflects systems thinking, real-world learning, and a shared vision for a more sustainable future. These actions are not isolated lessons—they are interconnected efforts that empower students to lead, investigate, restore, and advocate as environmental stewards of the Ogeechee River Basin.
Carver's 2024-2025 EcoSchools Theme: Wildlife and Biodiversity
At Carver, our Guardians of the Triangle Action Team is made up of student leaders, educators, and community partners who guide our sustainability work. Together, they set goals, lead Action Projects, and represent our school’s commitment to environmental stewardship across all grade levels.
Carver’s student-created EcoCode—“Care for our Earth every day, Always recycle and find a way…”—is posted throughout campus and featured in student artwork and writing. It serves as our guiding commitment to take action for nature, community, and sustainability.
Carver shared our crayfish biodiversity census and fish stewardship project through our school social media, Earth and Arts Night, and community outreach events, showing how student-led fieldwork has transformed our campus into a living lab.
Carver students got hooked on fish by learning about native species’ life cycles and habitats, raising and releasing least killifish and eastern mosquitofish, restoring riparian zones with native plants, and working alongside biologists to take real stewardship actions that support the health of our local watershed.
Carver students observed and identified 247 unique species in outdoor spaces on our school campus, contributing to biodiversity research through fieldwork and citizen science.
Carver students explored the biodiversity of our school’s bioswale and ditch ecosystems by conducting macroinvertebrate surveys and crayfish population studies. Their findings helped assess water quality and revealed strong species diversity in our local watershed.
During Earth and Arts Night, Carver families, students, and staff took the Clean Earth Challenge together, collecting over 300 pounds of litter and mulch debris. Their efforts beautified our schoolyard and supported campus habitat restoration for wildlife.
Carver students launched a composting initiative using food waste and garden scraps to enrich soil in our native plant beds and pollinator gardens—turning everyday waste into a powerful tool for sustainability and schoolyard biodiversity.
Carver students created schoolyard field guides documenting native plants, pollinators, birds, fungi, and aquatic invertebrates. These student-authored guides blend science, art, and curiosity, and help our community understand the biodiversity living right outside our doors.
Carver students wrote letters to Mayor Russ Carpenter urging him to support pollinators by signing the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge. On Earth Day, he visited our school to ceremonially sign the pledge, joining students in a celebration of conservation and civic leadership.
CERTIFIED WILDLIFE AND SCHOOLYARD HABITAT
One of our schoolyard habitats, "The Wetland," earned National Wildlife Federation Certified Wildlife Habitat this year.
The fenced wetland habitat lab ("The Wetland") and "The Ditch" sits between Carver Elementary and Richmond Hill Elementary. This area of the property is referred to as "the Car Rider line." The area is a constructed wetland and stormwater bioswale and contains a variety of land and water features, has mixed vegetation such as cattail and shrub, and has nesting coastal birds including Great Egret and Red Winged Blackbird. This area is home to amphiuma, Greater Siren, various turtles, various sunfish, bladderwort, Maid Marian, and St. Johns Wort. The stormwater bioswale, and small retention pond, flows into Carver's stormwater drainage system that flows into Sterling Creek, which flows into the Ogeechee River. This area is where students conduct daily species and habitat census and surveys and is supported by Georgia Southern, UGA, GA and SC Department of Natural Resources, US Fish and Wildlife, and the Richmond Hill Garden Club. Our students have surveyed over 500 crayfish in the bioswale this year and have conducted year-long research in partnership with Georgia Southern's Freshwater Ecology Lab.
Our students have surveyed over 200 species in our Certified Wildlife Habitat and have contributed data to over a dozen citizen science initiatives including the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, MacroBlitz, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility and the United States Geological Survey.
We support the Georgia State Wildlife Action Plan and our mission and goal at Carver Elementary is to always work to increase the biodiversity of our school campus, to maintain and increase wildlife habitat, and support the stewardship and conservation of the diverse coastal ecosystems of Richmond Hill and Bryan County, Georgia.
OUR BIOLOGICALLY DIVERSE SCHOOLYARD CAMPUS
G.W. Carver Upper Elementary School is located in Richmond Hill, Bryan County, Georgia (31.9387° N, 81.3037° W), within the lower Ogeechee River Basin—a coastal plain watershed characterized by sandy soils, freshwater wetlands, and mixed pine-hardwood forest ecosystems. The school’s 50-acre campus, locally known as “The Triangle,” comprises a mosaic of ecologically significant habitats, including a stormwater bioswale, upland forests, native pollinator gardens, early successional grasslands, and seasonally inundated wetland areas. These varied microhabitats support a diverse assemblage of native flora and fauna and offer a biologically rich outdoor laboratory for elementary student field-based ecological research.
One of the primary focal areas for biodiversity monitoring is a vegetated stormwater ditch system that supports a stable population of burrowing crayfish (Procambarus troglodytes). Initiated in 2024, the Crayfish of Carver: Operation Population project has resulted in the collection and documentation of over 500 crayfish specimens by students, with field protocols including standardized survey method procedures, and geotagged data submission via iNaturalist. Collaborations with Georgia Southern University Freshwater Ecology Lab, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the West Liberty University Crayfish Lab, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources have further validated student data and expanded the taxonomic resolution of local crayfish populations.
Beyond decapods, the site supports a robust invertebrate and vertebrate community. Aquatic surveys have identified high macroinvertebrate diversity—including Odonata nymphs, Gastropoda, and Ephemeroptera—as well as amphibians, reptiles, and small-bodied freshwater fish. Avian biodiversity has been observed across trophic levels, with species such as Buteo lineatus (red-shouldered hawk) and Agelaius phoeniceus (red winged blackbird) regularly sighted during transect monitoring.
The campus serves as a model for integrating ecological fieldwork into primary education. Data collection is student-led, curriculum-integrated, and place-based, fostering long-term ecological monitoring and contributing to broader citizen science databases. This living landscape continues to function as both a biodiversity hotspot and a replicable model for school-based conservation engagement.
Students documented 247 unique species on campus this year including:
Students defined the habitats on campus they investigate, nurture, and develop including:
The 7-Step EcoSchools Certification Process
1. Form an Eco Action Team
1. Form an Eco Action Team
Established the Guardians of the Triangle, a diverse, 80+ member student-nominated leadership team from across 4th and 5th grades.
Meets weekly for 90 minutes during Camp Wildcat to plan and implement EcoSchools actions.
Includes students, principal, classroom teachers, staff, families, and external partners (e.g., GA DNR, Georgia Southern, UGA, City of Richmond Hill, Richmond Hill Garden Club).
2. Conduct an Environmental Audit / Baseline Assessment
2. Conduct an Environmental Audit / Baseline Assessment
Students surveyed school grounds to identify existing wildlife, habitats, and invasive species.
Conducted macroinvertebrate and water quality testing in the bioswale and wetlands.
Mapped pollinator presence and native plant diversity using iNaturalist, the Great Southeast Pollinator Census, and species journals.
Assessed accessibility, biodiversity gaps, and habitat health across the 50-acre campus.
3. Create an Action Plan
3. Create an Action Plan
Designed and are implementing EcoSchools Action Projects.
Projects span habitat creation, citizen science, stewardship events, environmental art, and climate storytelling.
Prioritized projects that support SDGs 4, 15, and 17 and directly connect to the Wildlife and Biodiversity theme.
Action Plan integrates science standards and outdoor education goals across the school year.
4. Monitor and Evaluate Progress
4. Monitor and Evaluate Progress
Students use field logs, data sheets, photos, and iNaturalist entries to track progress on species diversity and habitat restoration.
Guardians reflect weekly during Camp Wildcat meetings.
Partners like Georgia Southern’s Freshwater Ecology Lab assist with analyzing population and biodiversity trends (e.g., crayfish surveys).
Results are used to adjust actions and improve project design.
5. Link to Curriculum
5. Link to Curriculum
Outdoor Education program integrates Georgia Standards of Excellence and NGSS 3D science practices.
Students apply knowledge through phenomena-based, place-based learning in Carver’s forest, wetland, and pollinator zones.
Teachers incorporate writing, biodiversity education, and student species research data into language arts, science, and social studies.
Lessons promote systems thinking, inquiry, and stewardship as core learning outcomes.
6. Inform and Involve the School and Wider Community
6. Inform and Involve the School and Wider Community
Held Earth and Arts Night and hosted Mayor’s Monarch Pledge signing event with families and city leadership.
Partners from UGA, GA DNR, Richmond Hill Garden Club, Coastal Wildscapes and Georgia Southern conduct school visits and co-lead fieldwork.
Guardians serve as student ambassadors, meeting with visitors, leading tours, and presenting findings.
Family engagement includes letters, newsletters, and community volunteer opportunities.
7. Create an EcoCode
7. Create an EcoCode
Students collaboratively wrote Carver’s EcoCode:
Care for our Earth every day,
Always recycle and find a way,
Reduce waste in all we do,
Value nature, keep it true,
Energy saved, lights turned low,
Respect the planet as we grow.
The EcoCode is displayed throughout the school and recited at Outdoor Education class and establishes the spirit of Carver's heart for conservation and stewardship of ourselves, our community, and the Earth.
The EcoCode is reinforced during Camp Wildcat, Outdoor Education, and school-wide Earth and Arts Night.
Baseline Environmental Audit
The baseline audit shows that Carver began its EcoSchools journey from a true “blank slate:" the campus had no habitat assessments, no certified wildlife areas and absolutely no documentation of the plants and animals that live at Carver, there was no designated Outdoor Education program, and limited defined outdoor classroom spaces. Additionally, students lacked any role in conservation and stewardship of their school and the school did not have any formal environmental stewardship plans. Environmental partnerships and student action teams had yet to be established, and critical equity gaps were evident in the absence of ADA-accessible pathways and multilingual materials. We also conducted a modified Connectedness to Nature Scale to students to create a baseline of how connected they felt to nature. We wanted to assess if their work towards the Green Flag certification, and participation in Outdoor Education, changed how they felt about nature and changed their feeling of connectedness to nature.
The University of Georgia Marine Extension and Sea Grant, the Bryan County Stormwater Superintendent, and the Georgia Forestry Commission assisted in initial habitat assessments on our 50+ acre campus. UGA focused its assessment of our bioswale and its culverts, "The Ditch." The Stormwater Superintendent walked the property with us and mapped the flow of our stormwater drainage system. Our county Forester walked the forest with us to provide guidance in an initial habitat assessment of our woods leading us in discussions of what type of forest we have, its potential, opportunities, and future goals as a forest, and provided an initial overview of invasive species within the forest habitat. We held an initial meeting with school and county-level administration to evaluate the needs of our schoolyard habitat, defined its space and goals, and discussed future opportunities for growth and development of our outdoor spaces.
Together, these findings highlight both the magnitude of the opportunity—Carver can demonstrate dramatic, measurable gains in biodiversity, stewardship and inclusion—and the importance of building robust student-led monitoring systems to document progress toward earning the NWF EcoSchools Green Flag Certification.
OVERVIEW OF INITIAL BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL AUDIT
Zero Existing Assessments: No prior habitat audits, certified wildlife areas, or inventories of campus flora and fauna.
Expert-Led Baseline Audits:
UGA Marine Extension & Sea Grant conducted a detailed assessment of our bioswale and culvert system (“The Ditch”).
Bryan County Stormwater Superintendent mapped stormwater flow across the 50+-acre campus.
Georgia Forestry Commission led a forest walk, identifying forest type, invasive species, and future management goals.
Initial Stakeholder Meeting: Convened school and county administrators to define habitat needs, outline outdoor space goals, and discuss development strategies.
No Outdoor Education Program: Outdoor learning was informal, with no designated curriculum or defined classroom spaces.
Lack of Student Agency: Students had no formal role in conservation or stewardship planning.
No Environmental Plans: The school lacked any written or formalized environmental stewardship strategies.
Partnership Gaps (Pre-Audit): Prior to these assessments, there were no established collaborations with environmental experts or organizations.
Equity Shortfalls: No ADA-accessible paths and absence of multilingual materials limited inclusive participation.
Baseline Connectedness Survey: Administered a modified Connectedness to Nature Scale to measure students’ initial feelings toward the natural world.
Clear Opportunity for Growth: Findings underscored the potential for dramatic gains in biodiversity, student leadership, and equitable access through systematic, student-led monitoring.
Equity and Inclusion
Equity and inclusion guides every choice in Carver’s Outdoor Education program. Military-connected students—often accustomed to frequent relocations—served as “place ambassadors,” drawing on their diverse experiences to compare ecosystems they’ve lived near and to lead peer-to-peer data collection teams, which fostered belonging and continuity despite transitions. Students with disabilities and their teachers were invited to share their access needs early in the planning process, ensuring that future outdoor learning areas, sampling stations, and observation points will be universally designed and wheelchair-friendly. English language learners used learning materials translated into the students native language.
By inviting these learners into planning, leadership roles, and fieldwork troubleshooting, Carver ensured that every child, regardless of language, mobility, or family circumstance, can explore, investigate, and steward the campus ecosystems side by side.
Authentically Engage the Community
Carver's Meaningful Partnerships and UN SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Carver Elementary’s partnerships exemplify the Green Flag level of the EcoSchools U.S. rubric by fostering deep, sustained collaboration that enhances both environmental learning and real-world impact. Working with our partners—including Carver families, Georgia Southern University’s Freshwater Ecology Lab, the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Sea Grant, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Georgia Forestry Commission, the Ogeechee River Keeper, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream (GA DNR-EPD), Richmond Hill High School Science Honor Society, Bryan County Public Works (Stormwater Division), and the Richmond Hill Garden Club—Carver has embedded community-based expertise directly into student-led projects. These partnerships go beyond guest visits; scientists and conservation professionals co-lead field investigations, validate student-collected data, guide habitat restoration, and mentor students in biodiversity monitoring techniques. This approach reflects the EcoSchools Framework by leveraging the community as classroom, fostering action competency, and demonstrating systems thinking through interconnected ecological and educational goals. Together, these relationships ensure that students are not only learning about environmental stewardship but living it through authentic, interdisciplinary experiences that support UN SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
Impact on Community
Carver Elementary meets the Green Flag standard for Impact on School and Community by creating meaningful, measurable change in both environmental outcomes and school culture. Through student-led projects such as the Crayfish of Carver Operation Population, bioswale habitat restoration, and habitat monitoring, students have directly improved biodiversity, increased native species presence, and enhanced ecosystem health on campus. These efforts are documented through tools like iNaturalist and shared with scientific partners and the broader community. Culturally, environmental stewardship is now embedded in the school’s identity—visible in the EcoCode displayed schoolwide, celebrated during Earth & Arts Night, and reinforced by staff participation and family engagement. The entire school community is involved in modeling sustainability, from custodians to classroom teachers, and students regularly share their work with local leaders and visitors. This holistic impact aligns with the EcoSchools Framework principles of systems thinking, real-world learning, and community as classroom, and reflects the highest rubric tier for whole-school and community transformation.
Identify Curriculum Connections
Carver Elementary’s Outdoor Education Program embodies the highest levels of the EcoSchools U.S. certification rubric by providing all 675 4th and 5th grade students with equitable, weekly 45-minute immersive, place-based learning experiences grounded in both state and national education frameworks. The program aligns with the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) North American Conservation Education Strategy, the NAAEE Guidelines for Excellence in K–12 Environmental Education, the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE) for Science, and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Students engage in student-led inquiry, authentic field investigations, and data-driven research using professional-grade tools and field methods, contributing to real-world scientific databases and conservation efforts. Curriculum is rooted in local natural phenomena and fosters critical thinking, systems thinking, action competency, and a sense of connectedness to nature. Through this experiential framework, students not only meet rigorous academic standards but also develop environmental literacy, empathy, and stewardship, becoming active participants in biodiversity conservation in Bryan County’s coastal ecosystems. Carver’s commitment to inclusive and accessible outdoor learning ensures that every student—regardless of background or learning needs—can meaningfully engage with nature and become an empowered environmental steward, fully aligning with the EcoSchools Framework principles of real-world learning, equity, and student agency.
EcoSchools Framework Connection
All of our Action Projects align with the EcoSchools Framework through:
Place-Based Learning: Across every project—from macroinvertebrate surveys and fish stewardship in our bioswale to composting lunch leftovers—students learn directly in the habitats they study, using Carver’s 50-acre campus as a dynamic, hands-on laboratory.
Systems Thinking: Learners connect the dots between water-quality measurements and aquatic life, link compost moisture and worm activity to soil health, and observe how invasive-species removal, native plantings, and seasonal shifts collectively shape campus biodiversity—understanding each action’s ripple effect on the whole ecosystem.
Action Competency: Guardians of the Triangle draft sampling protocols, design bin-rotation schedules, lead peer trainings, and translate data into concrete improvements—whether refining macroinvertebrate collection methods, adjusting fish-rearing conditions, optimizing compost ratios, or voting on EcoCode components—transforming curiosity into real solutions.
Community as Classroom: Carver’s work thrives on partnerships—with Carver families, Georgia Adopt-A-Stream trainers, the Ogeechee Riverkeeper, Richmond Hill Fish Hatchery, GSU Freshwater Ecology Lab, UGA Sea Grant stormwater specialists, and the Richmond Hill Garden Club—who supply expertise, equipment, and mentorship, integrating professional science and civic leadership into every student-driven project.
Curriculum Integration: Each project is directly tied to classroom standards and lesson plans, from NGSS science investigations to math data analysis and ELA reflective writing.
Youth Voice & Decision-Making: Students set goals, choose methods, and make data-driven decisions—designing protocols, selecting sites, and interpreting results. Student leaders guide and mentor peers.
Monitor & Evaluate: We document our data-collection routines, baseline assessments, and continuous refinement of projects.
Celebrate & Communicate: We share our successes via media releases and schoolwide announcements, celebrate at Earth & Arts Night, building community buy-in and inspiring ongoing stewardship.
Form An Action Team
At Carver Elementary, students are the driving force behind our environmental mission. Through Outdoor Education, Camp Wildcat, and our student leadership program, Guardians of the Triangle, learners take the lead in planning, executing, and reflecting on all EcoSchools Action Projects. From habitat restoration and biodiversity surveys to civic engagement efforts like the Mayor’s Monarch Pledge, students shape the direction of our schoolwide sustainability work.
Each week, all 4th and 5th grade students engage in 45-minute, inquiry-based field investigations, while the Guardians contribute an additional 90 minutes of leadership service, guiding their peers through the EcoSchools 7-Step Process. These young leaders collaboratively set goals, coordinate projects, document progress, and share results with community partners, embodying the EcoSchools Framework principles of action competency, systems thinking, and place-based learning.
Our Action Team includes not only students, but also educators, administrators, and our engaged community partners, including Georgia Southern University, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Ogeechee River Keeper, and the Richmond Hill Garden Club. Together, we support biodiversity education and stewardship across our 50-acre outdoor campus.
Through this consistent, scaffolded leadership model, Carver students develop the confidence, empathy, and skills to see themselves not just as learners—but as scientists, conservationists, and changemakers. Their voices drive meaningful action and create a school culture where environmental literacy and stewardship are embedded in everyday learning.
Celebrate, Reflect, and Create an EcoCode
EXTENDING OUR ACTION PROJECT REACH
Our student led EcoSchools Action Projects contributed to our schoolwide participation in the Environmental Education Alliance of Georgia and Council of Outdoor Learning's Georgia CoOL Schoolyards Challenge.
Carver won the 2025 Georgia CoOL Schoolyards Challenge!
Carver’s Outdoor Education program actively supports the Georgia State Wildlife Action Plan by engaging students in habitat restoration, biodiversity monitoring, and native species conservation projects on school grounds and in local ecosystems. Through hands-on field investigations and stewardship activities, students contribute valuable data to citizen science initiatives that align with the Plan’s priorities for protecting vulnerable habitats and species. By fostering early awareness and stewardship skills, Carver empowers youth to become lifelong advocates for Georgia’s wildlife and natural heritage.
We used the following resources:
EcoSchools Certification Guide
UN Sustainable Development Goals: 17 Goals
Georgia Biodiversity Portal: https://georgiabiodiversity.org/portal/home
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