Kids Thrive Outdoors: School Gardens Spark Curiosity

Outdoor learning is proving to be a powerful tool for engaging young students. At Pinnacle Elementary, a boy typically reserved in class became animated and inquisitive when tending to the school's new pollinator garden. This experience highlights how nature deficit disorder, a term coined by Richard Louv, can be addressed by reconnecting children with the outdoors.

Conserving Carolina has supported the creation of pollinator gardens at four schools this year, including locations in Rutherfordton, Hendersonville, Fletcher, and Columbus, North Carolina. These initiatives, bolstered by a growing supply of native plants cultivated by community members, aim to provide hands-on educational opportunities.