At Raintree, staff and students strive to work together to make both the world and our little schoolhouse a greener place. Whether we are in the forest, in the classroom, or in the garden, we are mindful of the way we impact and interact with our Earth.​

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INVASIVE SPECIES CONTROL

Honeysuckle is invasive and detrimental to native plant species. Honeysuckle plants grow quickly, are hearty in all seasons, and can take up large amounts of our local forest space. Past classes have focused projects and energy on invasive species research in order to control the local honeysuckle population. They have invited local experts to their classrooms to learn more. Using hand saws and other forest brush tools, students cleared dozens of honeysuckle bushes and monitored growth in future seasons. This work also inspired other classes to engage in similar work and learn safe hand-saw skills under teacher supervision.

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“Because it’s invasive and it kills lots of other plants. Our non invasive species will come back [if we get rid of it]” -- Karter, age 6​

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GREEN SCHOOLS PROJECT​

The Pre Kindergarten class, the Hoppin’ Frogs, listened to the book “We Are Water Protectors” by Carole Lindstrom during a class read-aloud. After learning that the “black snake” in the book was a metaphor for an oil pipeline that broke, the children decided to make their semester project oil-focused with the goal of “stopping the black snake.”

 

Throughout the semester, the children experimented with oil, learned about oil spills and other pollutants through literature, discovered oil alternatives, learned how to respect water by conducting their own “water walks,” and sang Ojibwe water songs created by the Water Walkers. After gaining an understanding about oil spills and a greater appreciation of clean water, the Hoppin’ Frogs decided to host a protest to bring awareness to this issue. The Frogs made signs and chants, then took to the streets, with teachers and their families by their sides. One book sparked a revolution in this classroom, inspiring the change-makers of our future.

 

"I learned that oil could get in the water and I didn't know what oil was made out of and now I know what it is made out of. I didn't know that it was in cars and I didn't know that the black snake was actually just a pipeline."  -- Jack, age 5

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GARDEN

The school garden is a collaborative space shared by the entire school. Classes plant, care for, and harvest their own fruits and vegetables. The school chefs use the produce for meals and for cooking activities with students. Garden and cooking tasks allow children to witness the full cycle of their food, from seed to table. Some favorite garden activities are helping the chefs take out the compost, digging and pulling weeds, observing critters, planting seeds, and harvesting. 

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"Just because we plant like plants in it. After they’re all done growing we eat them.”  -- Greta, age 5​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​