Johnson Nature Center Constructs Outdoor Classroom

Thanks to generous funding from the Cohen Foundation, the Rotary Club of Bloomfield Hills, a Placemaking Realtor Grant, an anonymous large donation, and contributions from individual community donors, the Johnson Nature Center now features a new outdoor classroom, which includes a new pavilion. 

Members of the Rotary Club and the Bloomfield Hills High School Interact Club volunteered their time to paint a new storage shed and construct two garden boxes for the new learning space. Fencing was recently installed, and plantings will soon be added around the pavilion concrete to prevent soil erosion.

Students in the TreeSchool program, serving students ages 3 through 5, will benefit from this outdoor classroom, in addition to summer campers and community program participants. Leigh Rowe, TreeSchool’s lead teacher, shared, “One of our ‘invitations to play’ was to build our own miniature pavilion. Students observed the process of the builders and mimicked it in their play, while also adding details of what they thought it could and should look like upon completion. Students had various questions about how the pavilion was being built, so we wrote them down and ‘mailed’ the letter to the builders. Later in the day, while sitting to observe them working, they came over to answer the questions we sent them. Overall, it was a wonderful and impactful experience for the kids to be involved in!”

The space features hands-on manipulatives and natural play elements that TreeSchool students and visiting families can enjoy for years to come. Other elements that will be part of the outdoor classroom space include: a climbing area, music/art area, blocks and building, partner work area, and a quiet play/reading area. Thank you to the many donors, community members, and volunteers who helped construct this wonderful new outdoor space at the JNC!