Forest
We are extremely fortunate at South Whidbey Elementary School to be surrounded by over 40 acres of trails that are owned by our school district. As a result, our students are provided opportunities for trail walks and forest studies on a consistent basis. Forest studies meet a wide range of science and math standards - and are woven into our academic programs on a consistent basis. We have a wide range of stories involving students whose love for science was “sparked” by our first studies programs!
Whidbey Watershed Stewards Through the efforts of the amazing Rene Neff who served as a teacher in our district in the 1980s to early 2000s, our forest programs were born. Rene developed our trail / forest programs, as well as spearheaded the construction of the “Rene Neff Outdoor Classroom” located on School district property in Clinton, Washington. The Outdoor Classroom is owned by the school district, but programs are provided through one of our key partners, Whidbey Watershed Stewards (WWS). All K-5 students have a minimum of two learning days at the Outdoor Classroom by the WWS Team - and have access to use the space for their own programs during the winter months when WWS programs are on hold. Learn more about Rene and her incredible legacy and impacts she had on our schools and community.
You can learn more about our other Forest Programs and community partners below:
Camp Casey 4th Grade Overnight Programs:
Camp Kirby 5th grade Overnight Programs Through “Outdoor Schools”
