Nature & Garden

Nature-based education plays a vital role in Waldorf schools. Children learn about nature and the world through gardening, field trips, and nature walks. They connect with the natural world, develop their sense of wonder and curiosity, and learn about the interconnectedness of all life. At UTCS, nature will be an integral part of the curriculum. Students will spend time outdoors daily in the nature learning lab. They will study plants, animals, and the environment with a curriculum that was developed for multiple years in the Outdoors After School nature Enrichment program.

The gardening curriculum emphasizes reverence for nature, care for the environment, and respect for each other.  Early gardening activities foster the students’ powers of observation that become vital in later gardening years.  Stories and songs are used to introduce gardening themes and jobs such as the life cycle of plants, facts of the natural world, and seasonal changes.  The skills taught in gardening such as tool care and cleaning, harvesting, saving seed, and extensive weeding and bed preparation strengthen the will, support physical growth, and teach responsibility.