“I took time to be mindful and present, I turned my phone off and was just with the world around me.”

Just ten miles north of Towson University is Oregon Ridge Nature Center and Park. Formerly the site of an active iron ore and marble mine, Oregon Ridge is now a Baltimore County park with hiking trails, picnic areas, a nature center, a living classroom, and more. Its rich history and abundance of nature make it the perfect site for pre-service educators to visit. Since the spring of 2023, students enrolled in ARED 371: Art and the Child have been doing just that.

ARED 371 students, a majority of which are elementary education majors, learn arts integration techniques applicable to the elementary school classroom through studio assignments and project-based learning. Students explore integrating visual art with a variety of curriculum areas like ELA, social studies, STEM, and math. Though other content areas are also explored, the Oregon Ridge visit focuses predominantly on connections between art and nature.

During their visits, students explore the nature center, history exhibits, and nearby walking trails. Artmaking prompts include making leaf keys, creating nature journals, and drawing from observation. More recently, students had the opportunity to participate in Animals and Their Habitats, a naturalist-led program that gives students the opportunity to interact with some of the animals that call the nature center home. After the trip, students write reflections, share their work, and brainstorm ideas for art-nature integrated unit plans.

Student reflections indicate positive outcomes of this experience, such as:

Deepening their connection to nature:

  • “One way I deepened my connection with nature was by drawing… I took time to be mindful and present, I turned my phone off and was just with the world around me.”
  • “I learned just how beautiful our environment is and what all it provides for these certain animals.”

Benefits to mental health:

  • “This time of year, I feel like I’m missing out on the nice weather when I have to be inside for hours, so it was really special to have class outside.”
  • “It felt so good to do something with classmates outside of the room and served kind of as a stress reliever.”

Strengthening observational skills:

  • “I got to pay closer attention to the detail on certain things like the frog, leaves, and painted trees.”
  • “Artmaking assisted my learning because by observing the turtle I was able to see watch him in distinct way.”

Encouraging inquiry:

  • “I identified some plants, using my phone – like the wild violets in order to draw them. I probably wouldn’t have been so inquisitive without this project. It encouraged me to pay closer attention to my surroundings.”
  • “…making art assisted my learning because I wanted to know what I was drawing. First, it started off with wanting to know its name, to identify what I wanted to draw. This made me curious as to the kind of fish it was, where its habitat is, and what it liked to eat.”

Making learning memorable:

  • “The artmaking did help because it allowed me to recall what I observed.”
  • “The outcome of my nature journaling is I got to be outside while sketching what I was looking at and get to keep the nice memory of the day.”

Positive experiences like this can strengthen students’ connection to the environment. It’s imperative for future educators to foster an appreciation of the natural world in students and to promote environmental stewardship in future generations. Activities that incorporate outdoor education and artmaking can further engage students in environmental education. The connections TU students make through this experience will encourage them to collaborate with places like Oregon Ridge in their future classrooms.