Special Places (a part of our Plant A Tree and Plant a Donation reforestation program)

Knowing that CEC students love to explore the forest, a team of teachers created individual plots of land in 2002 where their students could spend time. Special Places has now become an integral part of the 3rd and 4th grade experience and curriculum; it is unique because it dovetails the three elements of the CEC’s environmental education philosophy – Nature Appreciation, Land Stewardship and Curriculum Integration.

Every July, the Cloud Forest School Land Manager and Environmental Education Coordinator designate a new Special Places area based upon the CEC’s long-term land management plan. As these areas are planted, a corridor of forest will regenerate across the school’s 42 hectare property. In order to begin the project, 10 x 5 metered plots are numbered and roped off, and each 3rd and 4th grade student is “gifted” their area.

In August, the students spent at least 1 hour per week in their special place, getting to know its intricacies, unique features, mapping it, and doing creative writing exercises. Niko, a 3rd grader, had an exciting moment when he came upon an emerald toucanet bill in his plot. As he shared the discovery with his classmates, many questions arose such as, “Why do you think he only found the beak?” “Why do you think it was found in his area and not mine?” “What do you think happened to the toucanet?” Using this teachable moment in Niko’s special place, the students entered into an authentic conversation with each other, sharing their hypotheses, knowledge, and appreciation for this special Monteverde bird.

In September and October, students actively participate in Land Stewardship by cultivating and planting 14 species of native trees on their plots of land. Not just “tree planting technicians”, the students learned valuable tree identification skills as well as natural history information about each species. By November, more than 350 trees are planted in the Special Places area – a truly monumental addition to our annual reforestation effort. Planting trees is never an easy task for 3rd and 4th graders, considering that the pasture mostly root-bound grassland and the children are not much taller than their shovels! However, with the love of their special places in their hearts and feeling the forest as a motivating factor, the students always display great strength, stamina, dedication and teamwork as they move through their project.

In January through April, these same classes study ecosystems. During the semester, ecosystem themes are integrated into academic subjects using observations made in the Special Places. For example, teachers lead math lessons such as measuring the progress and height of trees planted, and assessing seedling mortality in the field. They incorporate science and language arts by investigating, interacting with, and journaling about the habitat they’ve created. As soon as the rains begin in May, our students jump at the chance to replant in areas where various seedling had died. At the end of the school year, the students celebrate their Special Places by planting one last tree, tagged with their name and the year. They then remove the stakes, rope, and numbers from the pasture. It is always at this moment when we take the time to step back and marvel at the tiny forest that they created together.

Every year our reforestation program receives a boost from the 3rd/ 4th grade Special Places program. Our children also receive many tangible and intangible benefits from spending time upon a piece of land that is “theirs”. At the CEC, we know that our students are not merely gardeners; they are scientists, journalists, teachers and a myriad of other professions they may dream of becoming. Indeed, reforestation at the Cloud Forest School becomes a holistic process in which our students learn valuable lessons: such as the forest will come back - specifically because they have been there and took the care to do the work themselves.