Into the Woods We Go

“We’re using the campus as an outdoor classroom and getting the boys to areas that they’ve never been to before,” said Gordon Loveland, chairman of the Upper School science department. "It’s spontaneous learning as the students make discoveries and record what they find." 

Students went off the trails, exploring the woods and running streams and finding a variety of animals, including painted turtles, water snakes, crayfish, rock fly larvae, and countless other critters. 

“We generated a list of over 25 species of birds,” said US biology teacher, Sara Laux, who coordinated the event. “There is such a diversity of animals and plants on campus. Unlike the classroom where we work with preserved species, everything outside is alive and in its natural habitat so it makes learning all that more exciting for the boys.” 

Wildlife experts from Cleveland Metroparks, John Carroll University, and Cleveland State University assisted students in identifying the species.

University School plans to continue conducting surveys of the campus as part of an ongoing effort to record the wide variety of flora and fauna, as well as to document changes within the ecosystem. 

“By keeping a continuous record, students can see how one part of the campus is different from another, and note any changes over time,” said Loveland.