Grow & Gather: An Educator’s Day of Discovery

Outdoor Explorations: Big to Small – Join HBG, Alabama State Parks and the Land Trust of North Alabama to discover the wonders of North Alabama’s environment as we zoom in, using all of our senses to examine both large and small features of our region, including your own school yard. Learn how to bring seasonal nature journaling into your classroom to engage your students in year-round outdoor investigations.

There’s Room for STEM: Grab & Go Strategies using Picture Books We Love – Join local authors for practical cross-curricular strategies to make the most of your classroom time. Discuss ways to inspire a love of STEM and literacy in elementary students and go home with ideas that you can implement immediately while addressing state standards.

School Gardens – Join North Alabama Agriplex, Habitat Learning Lab and Alabama Forestry Foundation to discover how to bring learning to life with a school garden! This session will provide practical strategies for starting and sustaining a garden/forest program, from planning and planting to integrating curriculum and engaging the whole school community. Participants will leave with resources and inspiration to grow successful outdoor learning spaces at their own schools.

Maximizing Off-Site STEM Experiences – Join HBG, Cook Museum of Nature Science, and City of Huntsville Green Team for a workshop that will give teachers a better understanding of how to use STEM field experiences to connect the classroom with the outside world and spark interest in STEM-related careers. Presenters will provide practical strategies to overcome obstacles of off-site STEM experiences and maximize the benefits of time spent outside the classroom.

Self-Guided Tour of Huntsville Botanical Garden

Cook Museum of Natural Science Behind the Scenes Tour – Get a behind-the-scenes look at our local nature museum in Decatur. The Cook Museum of Natural Science offers interactive, hands-on activities about the observable natural world. Groups can enjoy a deep dive into animals of the Ocean and Arctic/Desert, climb to the top of “Big Tree”, explore the life-like cave, and more! Visitors will learn about nature and animals in a way that will spark their love of learning for years to come. The Cook Museum offers approximately twenty Education classes and camps to enhance any visit. Recently, the museum has added Virtual Reality Dissections to their offerings: an interactive, fully immersive experience utilizing Meta VR headsets.

Local Hike at Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve – Put on some comfortable shoes, grab your water bottle and join Alabama State Parks and Land Trust of North Alabama for a naturalist stroll approximately 1 mile over relatively easy terrain in the Chapman Mountain Nature Preserve. Practice nature journaling skills in the field, and gain the confidence that will allow you to explore the great outdoors with your students year-round.

Model School Gardens with Habitat Learning Lab – The Habitat Learning Lab Program, formerly known as the Alabama Outdoor Classroom Program, invites you to tour a model Habitat Learning Lab located at Riverton Elementary in Huntsville. HLL Specialist Avy Elmore will guide visitors through their site, provide information, and answer questions about the learning stations designed to help teach Alabama’s K-5 science standards so that students can experience hands-on learning right outside their classroom. These learning stations include perennial gardens planted for butterflies, pollinators, songbirds, frogs and toads, annual gardens for new learning experiences each year, and a weather station and cardinal directions sign.

HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology Greenhouse Tour – Visit the HudsonAlpha greenhouse to explore cutting-edge plant research and see how genetics and innovation are shaping the future of agriculture. Comfortable walking shoes recommended.