Brim Family
Outdoor Learning Center 

The Cedar Classroom is an octagonal gazebo that serves as the educational hub of the Learning Center. Equipped with benches, whiteboard, bookcase and multimedia equipment, it provides a sheltered environment for classroom interactions.  With multiple windows that open up to the surrounding gardens, it allows students a unique perspective on nature, and serves as a nexus for their work and learning in the outdoor classroom. Hand crafted by local carpenters Michael Hodges and Daniel Pavlenko in 2019 primarily out of local cedar, the structure is capped with a living or green roof: one of the six gardens in the center.

The Cedar Tower is an iconic climbing structure (under construction) that supports the physical developmental needs of the students as well as providing a create space for imaginary play. Constructed in 2022-3 by local artist Tony Velarde, the structure is made out of local cedar, redwood, and black locust. It is composed of monkey bars, an elevated deck, vertical cargo net, suspension bridge, tunnel and countless other design elements that provide an array of creative affordances.

Six Distinctive Gardens ring the center. These growing spaces are composed almost exclusively of Oregon native plans, and support local birds, insects, raccoons and other animals. Planted by students and teachers in the ELC, these gardens each have distinctive characteristics. The south-facing Meadow is exposed to full sun and located outside of the Cedar Classroom. It contains clusters of native plants found in Oregon Meadows & Prairies such as cone flower, yarrow, camus, and clematis. The Pollinator garden is partly shaded on the south by a large big leaf maple tree. It contains clusters of native plants such as milkweed, blanket flower, and lupin that support local pollinators. This garden is also home to 3 other species of trees. The Pond provides a home to water-based plants such as wapato, cattail and rushes. This space the local birds and raccoons access to water, and will be home to native tree frogs. The Fern garden is partly shaded by fir trees and surrounds the pond. It contains half a dozen species of native ferns as well as trillium and other plants needing less sun and more moisture. Running through the middle of the Learning Center and sporting an arched cedar bridge, the Bioswale is garden space that provides drainage to the entire area. Containing sedges, grasses and other wetland plants, it is bordered by strawberry, salal and our large Western Red Cedar. It is the bioswale that provides drainage to the area, particularly during the winter rains. The Living Roof that caps the Cedar Classroom contains 6-8 inches of soil and is home to a variety of succulents that enjoy full sun, as well as an assortment of plants grown from wind-blown seeds. To learn more about the specific plants in our gardens, please see the Alphabetized Plant list and the individual Webpages students are creating to describe each species.