A Yearlong, Student-Led Conservation and Field Science Program

Carver’s Outdoor Education and Seeds of Stewardship operate as a continuous, year-round system of student-led environmental science, conservation, and civic engagement rather than a collection of isolated activities. Across the school year, every fourth and fifth grader participates in authentic stewardship work that follows natural seasonal cycles, professional scientific practices, and long-term ecological goals rooted in the schoolyard and the Ogeechee River Basin.

Seeds of Stewardship represents a mature, multi-year, research-informed model of schoolyard ecology and habitat stewardship education, grounded in national best practices and elevated through student-led inquiry, ethical native seed conservation, and long-term ecological restoration. By transforming the school campus into a living laboratory, the program demonstrates how elementary students can serve as genuine contributors to biodiversity stewardship while cultivating scientific thinking, environmental responsibility, and a lasting connection to place.

Seasonal Stewardship Cycle

Fall: Observation, Mapping, and Baseline Data

The year begins with students learning to read the landscape. In the fall, students conduct schoolyard explorations to identify habitats, species, and patterns across the campus. Using field journals, observation protocols, and digital tools, students document what lives where and how habitats are connected.

Students map native and invasive plant populations, update the campus master map, and begin identifying priority areas for restoration. This work establishes baseline data that guides decision-making throughout the year and helps students understand that effective stewardship begins with careful observation and documentation.

Students also begin seed collection during this time, learning ethical collection practices and the importance of preserving genetic diversity. Collected seed becomes the foundation for the student-managed Seed Library and future propagation work.

Winter: Seed Science, Planning, and Propagation

During the winter months, stewardship work shifts indoors while remaining deeply connected to field science. Students engage in winter sowing and seed stratification, learning how cold exposure, moisture, and dormancy are adaptive strategies for native plants. Students apply this knowledge by preparing and monitoring seed trays and containers, documenting germination timing and success rates.

Indoor propagation and grow-outs allow students to continue active stewardship during colder months. Students manage soil, light, water, and space constraints while tracking plant growth through observation and data collection. This phase emphasizes patience, responsibility, and revision, as students learn that ecological outcomes unfold over time rather than immediately.

Students also organize and maintain the student-run Seed Library, labeling seed packets with QR codes that link to species information, collection locations, and propagation notes. This system transforms seed storage into a living database that supports transparency, future planning, and community sharing.

Throughout the winter, students plan upcoming restoration projects, revising habitat designs, pollinator garden layouts, and planting plans based on what they have learned through observation and data.

Spring: Field Restoration, Installation, and Biodiversity Action

As conditions allow, students transition from propagation to field restoration and habitat installation. Plants grown by students are transplanted into the schoolyard and partner sites based on site conditions, species needs, and ecological goals.

Students apply systems thinking as they consider soil conditions, water flow, sunlight, and species interactions. Pollinator gardens, native plant beds, wetland edges, and forest understory areas become living laboratories where students monitor survival, growth, and wildlife use.

Spring is also a key time for biodiversity monitoring. Students document species using iNaturalist, contribute observations to citizen science platforms, and conduct Schoolyard Habitat assessments to evaluate changes in habitat quality and biodiversity over time.

Scientific Rigor and Authentic Research Practices

Across all seasons, students engage in scientific practices aligned with professional conservation and research standards.

Students create herbarium vouchers to document plant species growing on campus, learning how preserved specimens support species verification, long-term biodiversity records, and conservation decision-making. These vouchers provide permanent evidence of student discoveries and stewardship outcomes.

Students map invasive species populations and upload georeferenced observations to EDDMapS, contributing directly to state and regional invasive species databases. This work allows students to see how local data supports broader conservation efforts and informs management strategies beyond the schoolyard.

The campus master map is continuously updated by students to reflect native plantings, invasive species distributions, habitat zones, restoration areas, and ongoing projects. This evolving document serves as both a scientific record and a planning tool that guides future action.

Student Leadership and Civic Engagement

Student leadership is embedded throughout the program. Students serve as planners, data collectors, decision-makers, and advocates. They work collaboratively to identify needs, design solutions, and communicate findings to peers, partners, and the broader community.

Students share their work through videos, posters, newsletters, presentations, and public storytelling platforms. Reflection is built into the program through nature journaling, audio recordings, and video reflections, allowing students to process their learning and articulate their role as environmental stewards.

Students also engage in civic advocacy, reaching beyond the schoolyard to communicate with city leadership, conservation organizations, and scientific partners. Through these interactions, students advocate for biodiversity, endangered species protection, and pollinator conservation, learning that environmental stewardship includes both ecological action and public engagement.

Integrated Outcomes

Together, these elements form a cohesive, year-round system where students observe, plan, propagate, restore, monitor, reflect, and advocate. The program connects classroom learning to real-world conservation, embeds stewardship into the regular school day, and ensures that every student participates meaningfully regardless of background.

By grounding learning in place, seasonality, and authentic scientific practice, Carver’s Outdoor Education and Seeds of Stewardship programs cultivate environmental literacy, scientific skill, civic responsibility, and a lasting sense of connection to the natural world.