When we see the land as the community we live in, we can begin to use it with love and respect.”
Aldo Leopold, Almanac of Sand County (1949)
Growing up in southern Louisiana, Matthew Herron spent a lot of time outdoors, learning and teaching others about the flora and fauna of his region.
This was the beginning of his desire to educate and encourage others in the Gulf South to learn and appreciate nature. Herron was inspired by the famous pioneers of outdoor education, naturalists Aldo Leopold, John Muir and Henry David Thoreau.
Herron, 38, launched the Coastal Plains Outdoor School in late 2020 with the goal of “engaging people of all ages in nature to help them develop deeper relationships with the world and each other.”
Next month, the school is offering its first overnight courses.
Such foreign studies are not new; Outdoor schools have been connecting people to nature for over 50 years.
In the US, there are more than 500 nature education schools. Some programs are for elementary or high school only and may include a camp or field trip where students do outdoor activities such as hiking and canoeing along with nature education.
Although they are not well known in the Gulf South region, foreign schools are spreading throughout the Midwest, the East Coast and the upper Southeast.
“I love biodiversity, place-based learning and connecting people with the land that cares for us,” he said.
Herron’s love of nature led him to teach at Boy Scout summer camps and at other outdoor schools after earning a degree in English and German from LSU. He went on to major in ecology and floodplain forest restoration and earned a master’s degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He helped establish the Louisiana Master Naturalists chapter of the Greater Baton Rouge chapter and the Capital Area Native Plant Society.
Herron was also detained for eight months at the Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center in Ohio; it was there that he realized the “surprise” that foreign schools had on him and thousands of children. He wanted to establish a school near his home.
Working with a limited budget to start the school, he and his assistant instructors, Logan Wiedenfeld, Kerri McCabe and John Michael Kelly, have helped teach courses such as “Reading the Winter Landscape,” “Winter Botany of Southern Hardwood Forests,” “Winter Mushrooms.” of the Piney Woods” and “Basketry Restoration: Random Weave.” One of the most popular classes is “Foraging the Gulf South,” which includes exploring plants and learning how to cook, prepare, preserve and grow them.
Back at night, which takes place on Feb. 17-19, is a 2½-day event featuring several workshops and a treasure hunt in search of the forgotten forests of the Gulf South’s past. “Winter Landscape Reading Weeks: Winter Botany, Old Growth Forests and More” will be held at Chicot State Park near Ville Platte. The cost is $275, which includes instruction, supplies, lodging and meals.
Herron said she is looking for places and parks to use to make her classes affordable and accessible to everyone. In the meantime, classes have been organized for adults and families to create a supportive foundation for future youth programs that may include summer camps and boarding school trips. He has been involved in various roles so far.
“I ask that if young children go to our current courses, it’s because it’s their idea, that they want to attend and learn,” Herron said.
He said he strives to make every class cohesive and connected. Oregon and Washington state have made extracurricular activities part of their mandatory CORE curriculum, Herron said. Recently, the Washington state Legislature appropriated $10 million to support school participation for fifth graders in the outdoor school program by 2023.
According to the “Washington Outdoor School for All” website, the goal is to help children learn and overcome the obstacles that come with being at home learning outdoors for the past two years.
By signing the law, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a graduate of Camp Waskowitz Outdoor School, said he hopes the time spent outdoors will inspire students to pursue careers in earth science and soil management, which will help prepare his country for climate change. change.
Currently, Herron plans and maintains the programs as well as managing the school’s website and all communications. Acquiring a non-profit campus is a near-term goal for fundraising efforts.
In the past, outdoor education was closely related to the appreciation of the environment and management, but what is happening today is the change of events in the outdoor world such as climate change, the problem of environmental degradation, the culture of sports and changes in education can make education Deep outside being ahead. in schools all over the world, including Louisiana.
Future planning courses include wildflower, tree and butterfly identification classes and a series of sustainable skills.
“In today’s world of overstimulation and constant distraction, it takes time to slow down, slow down and clear our mind. “It takes time to get comfortable with the environment and new people,” said Herron.
For more information on the Coastal Plains Outdoor School or to register for a course, visit www.coastalplainsoutdoor.org.
