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NATURE GUIDES
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Volunteer Nature Guides enable each class to visit the outdoors for hands-on exploration.
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Nature Guides in the
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*We have Year-Round Activities For Each Grade Ready-To-Go*
Nature Guides love our materials and activities! Inspired by volunteer and faculty feedback, we've curated a wealth of resources for your classes...
What does this mean for you? Our grade-specific K-4th Nature Journals were compiled and designed to be your keystone resource. You should be able to walk into the Outdoor Classroom with just your journals and pencils and have a fun, meaningful, age-appropriate activity at your fingertips with no prior planning required! If you have extra time to devote to your class, we have also curated dozens of additional activities and games to enrich your experience.
We invite you to volunteer with Nature Guides - let's get these kids outside!
What does this mean for you? Our grade-specific K-4th Nature Journals were compiled and designed to be your keystone resource. You should be able to walk into the Outdoor Classroom with just your journals and pencils and have a fun, meaningful, age-appropriate activity at your fingertips with no prior planning required! If you have extra time to devote to your class, we have also curated dozens of additional activities and games to enrich your experience.
We invite you to volunteer with Nature Guides - let's get these kids outside!
Why become a Nature Guide...
Nature Guides use nature journaling lessons designed for the outdoor classroom and garden at ME. The lessons encourage observation and wonder in nature and seek to help students find freedom in curiosity.
Many of the lessons are based on the nature journaling model described by John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren in their book How to Teach Nature Journaling, as well as Clare Walker Leslie's book Keeping a Nature Journal . In addition, resources include established conservation curriculum as Project Learning Tree, Project Wet and Project Wild.
Student lessons include taking time to practice gratitude and mindfulness in nature, which has been shown to improve academic and social emotional learning outcomes for students.
The program was inspired by the work of the ME fifth grade team, who then piloted nature journaling in the outdoor classroom every day in the 2021-22 school year. ME PTSA wants to bring the opportunity to use the outdoor classroom in a meaningful way, on a regular basis, to every student at ME.
Many of the lessons are based on the nature journaling model described by John Muir Laws and Emilie Lygren in their book How to Teach Nature Journaling, as well as Clare Walker Leslie's book Keeping a Nature Journal . In addition, resources include established conservation curriculum as Project Learning Tree, Project Wet and Project Wild.
Student lessons include taking time to practice gratitude and mindfulness in nature, which has been shown to improve academic and social emotional learning outcomes for students.
The program was inspired by the work of the ME fifth grade team, who then piloted nature journaling in the outdoor classroom every day in the 2021-22 school year. ME PTSA wants to bring the opportunity to use the outdoor classroom in a meaningful way, on a regular basis, to every student at ME.
ME Outdoor Classroom & Garden History
The ME Outdoor Classroom has been the passion project of fifth grade teacher Mrs. Idso (retired 2023) and a dedicated group of volunteers since 2012. Two acres of woods, overgrown with invasive plants, were transformed into an outdoor classroom and a certified wildlife sanctuary. Today, the ME Outdoor Classroom includes an amphitheater, a picnic area, rain barrel irrigation, and bat and bird nesting boxes.
In 2020, fifth grade teacher Mr. Greer and volunteers built an additional garden space which has donated thousands of pounds of vegetables to the food bank. These spaces have created hands-on learning experiences for our students throughout the school year!
In 2020, fifth grade teacher Mr. Greer and volunteers built an additional garden space which has donated thousands of pounds of vegetables to the food bank. These spaces have created hands-on learning experiences for our students throughout the school year!
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© 2026-27 Mukilteo Elementary PTSA 7.5.13
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