School outreach PRograms
Our school outreach programs can involve a multitude of activities and can be customized depending on the school, teacher, and grade. Currently, we work with the following schools: Lunenburg Elementary, Sunnybrook Montessori Preschool, and Heartwood Public Charter School.
If you would like to start a nature-based program at your school,
Let us know!
Make sure to check out our School Program Handbook for more info
Sunnybrook Seeds & Sunbeams enjoying a walk on the Lancaster Town Trails
Sunnybrook students examining a rock
Current School Programs
Seeds & Sunbeams For the 2023 - 2024, school year we are excited to adventure with all Sunnybrook students through the fields and forests of Lancaster as we observe the natural world through all the seasons and play a little along the way too.
Second graders from Lunenburg Elementary following deer tracks on a Winter adventure with Taproot
Second grader showing off hands dirty from gardening
Lunenburg Elementary We work with the first and second grade class at Lunenburg Elementary. Our program focuses on the school garden, the forest surrounding the school, and linking our outdoor learning to concepts that are learned in the classroom and in our community.
“The Farm & Forest Program has allowed my second graders to develop a connection to the World around them by providing them with authentic experiences with nature. We look forward to our weekly outings and learning about gardening and the natural world. My students have especially enjoyed designing and testing their track traps. They liked being scientists and determining which animals may have visited by looking at the prints and scat left behind. This experience led to many conversations about why an animal may have visited which led to authentic discussions about the food web in action.
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Second graders at Lunenburg Elementary discussing food webs
Whitefield Elementary Taproot’s partnership with Whitefield Elementary began in October of 2023. This program will focus on getting the students outside to experience the natural world on the school’s trails and connecting those moments to their science classes.
First graders hiking on a trail at Whitefield Elementary
Sixth graders at Lancaster Elementary putting the garden to bed for the Winter.
Lancaster Elementary We work with the sixth grade class at Lancaster Elementary on the school garden, farm to table cooking, and enhancing this outdoor space for the whole school community. The sixth graders have big plans for using the bioshelter and planting a bountiful garden this school year.
Heartwood Public Charter School For the 2023-2024 school year, we are excited to work with the second and third grade class for the first 7 weeks, and then continue to work with the fourth, fifth, and sixth grade classes for the school year. The group will practice fire lighting, cooking over the campfire, whittling, and shelter building among other nature based skills.
Heartwood students roast apples over the campfire
““Taproot’s program with Heartwood has been nothing short of wonderfully joyous, educational adventure for our fourth grade son. He learned so much on Taproot Tuesdays, as we’d call it. The staff taught the students so much while out in the woods discovering plants, new trails, and fire safety while giving them the opportunity to be a part of deciding what they’d learn about each week. We wholly appreciate the collaboration between Taproot and Heartwood, and we hope this relationship continues to be fostered and thrives, as the students and families of Heartwood are so grateful for the availability of such a rich and stimulating program.” ”
A heartwood students uses charcoal from a previous week’s fire to write on Paper Birch bark