PLENTY Spring 2020 Plenty Spring 2020-WEB | Page 9

are changing, and they’re feeling
an extreme urge to fit into the
world socially. She likened them
to babies entering an adult world.
And she envisioned an agricultural
community as the most holistic
and welcoming way to assist in
that transition.”
In an age of technology and
increasingly reduced access to the
outside, children are no longer con-
nected to the source of their food,
nature and the earth’s resources.
And that’s what Butler’s Environ-
mental Education and Micro-Econ-
omy programs hope to change. 
“It’s fun to go to the pond and
get samples of the water and then
bring it back into the classroom
and look at it under the micro-
scope,” says elementary student Park, and visit the farm. A boot rack
Emma Soderberg. She and her class- a raindrop, beginning at the down-
mates frequently study crayfish in spout of their classroom’s building
the creek, explore the adjacent State and ending up a half mile away in a
full of rain boots sits outside every
classroom door, encouraging explo-
ration of every corner of the school’s
wooded 22-acre campus. During
classes, students might learn about
the school’s stormwater manage-
ment system and environmental
concerns by enacting the journey of
tributary creek.
Ms. Downer describes a recent
lesson she gave to elementary stu-
dents about pollinator gardens. “Stu-
dents are learning everything from
how to plant a pollinator garden
and understanding the process of
pollination to harvesting the flowers
for dissection. And we always make
sure to stop by the greenhouse for a
tasty tomato so they can experience
gratitude first hand for the impor-
tant work of beneficial insects.”
Long before being “green” was
popular, Butler Montessori em-
braced the philosophy. Students ages
18 months to 8th grade explore and
learn while visiting the campus’s pol-
linator gardens, fruit orchards, farm,
edible gardens and nature trails.
“We’re not only recycling in
every classroom but there’s also a
bin for saving food scraps for the
chickens or for the aerated com-
posting system,” says Ms. Downer.
“We recycle the horse manure and
shavings from our Equestrian Pro-
gram there too. In every classroom
there’s a plethora of plants to create
a healthy environment. Students
cook in their classrooms and the
ingredients are intentionally sourced
from our organic farm.” 
Every day students learn about
nature, the environment and them-
selves through hands-on lessons
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