First grade teacher Meghan Patterson leads Carson Beck ’27, Landon O’Hara ’27, and Caeden Cannan ’27 as the first to sprinkle perennial seeds in the outdoor classroom.
As Lower School Head Katie Signer stepped outside her house on a chilly October day last fall, she looked up to see — much to her surprise — hundreds of birds soaring in the blue sky above the trees. Signer, who lives a literal stone’s throw from Westchester County Airport, is more accustomed to the sights and sounds of planes and helicopters on her morning strolls, growing nearly immune to the overhead din in the decade she’s spent on the high end of King Street. But, as this particular Friday would bring the unveiling ceremony for Brunswick’s new Schoolyard Habitat and Outdoor Classroom, she had a feeling the birds were on hand for good reason. “It must’ve been a sign,” Signer told ’Wick 1st, 2nd, and 3rd graders as she opened the day’s festivities.
students and faculty helped put
“Today marks a legacy moment
“They’ve come to campus to thank
the School’s plan for an Outdoor
for Brunswick,” May said. “It’s a chal-
us for providing them with a place
Classroom into action, working
lenge not to be encouraged in the
Ryan Callaghan ’16, Angus Fraser
to eat and live.”
together to cut vines, move logs,
Outdoor Classroom. You can do so
’16, and Jamie MacFarlane ’16
dig up roots, and clear brush.
many different things and you don’t
credited Science Department Chair
have to be afraid to be yourself.”
Dana Montanez for her unflagging
In a collaborative effort between Brunswick, Audubon Greenwich,
Months more of time and effort
Conservation Club presidents
and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife
— bolstered by the instrumental
Service, Brunswick has done just
financial support of Lynn May,
of engaged learning, endless
the environmentally-geared
that, planting native vegetation for
whose son, Sam, graduated in
exploration, and peaceful reflection
mission, while also looking ahead
birds and pollinators, installing
2015 — all came to fruition as the
aligns with Audubon Connecticut’s
with excitement.
birdhouses, and creating nature
ribbon was cut and Lower School
Urban Oases Program — an initia-
trails throughout the habitat on the
students became the first to walk
tive transforming a network of
that this is only the beginning,”
fringes of Edwards Campus.
through the outdoor learning
habitats throughout Connecticut’s
MacFarlane said. “It will be a place
space, sprinkling perennial seeds
parks, neighborhoods, and school-
for stories, clubs, science, art, and
along their way.
yards into special stopovers for
natural beauty for years to come.”
Beginning on Community Service Day last spring, Brunswick
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In addition, the natural habitat
millions of migrating songbirds.
energy and enthusiasm throughout
“What is so spectacular is
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