Schoolyard Forests
Growing Future Stewards
Growing Outdoor Classrooms
Alabama Forestry Foundation is planting Schoolyard Forests across Alabama, creating living classrooms that connect students with nature, enrich learning, and inspire the next generation of forest stewards.
Nature-Based Learning
Reconnecting Alabama Students with Nature
Today’s children face an alarming disconnect from the natural world. Screen time is at record levels while outdoor playtime has dwindled to an average of just 30 minutes per day. Many students, particularly those in underserved communities, grow up without meaningful experiences in nature.
This growing “nature deficit” is linked to concerns about mental health, physical inactivity, and academic disengagement. Research consistently shows that time spent outdoors improves psychological, physical, social, and academic outcomes. Nature-based learning is beneficial and essential.
The Benefits
Why Schoolyard Forests?
Schoolyard Forests provide benefits that extend far beyond the classroom. They create healthier campuses, improve local ecosystems, and offer students daily opportunities to experience nature firsthand. Research shows that outdoor learning can improve academic performance, increase physical activity, reduce stress, and strengthen problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Alabama Forestry Foundation is launching Schoolyard Forests in communities across Alabama through support from the U.S. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Program and local partners.
Learning & Discovery
Living Classrooms
Schoolyard Forests transform school grounds into outdoor learning environments where students can explore, discover, and connect with the natural world. Students may identify tree species during science lessons, measure growth in math class, write nature journals in language arts, or explore Alabama ecology through hands-on observation. Every Schoolyard Forest is designed to become an outdoor extension of the classroom.
These forests become community assets to benefit schools while providing environmental and educational value for generations to come.
Each Schoolyard Forest Includes:
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A minimum of 25 native trees on ¼ acre of school property
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Professional site assessments and forest design
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Tree gators and staking systems to support long-term maintenance and sustainability
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Interpretive signage with QR codes for exploration and learning
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Community Celebration Days, bringing together students, families, educators, volunteers, and local leaders
outdoor learning spaces
Growing a Lasting Educational Resource
Alabama Forestry Foundation works closely with school administrators, educators, community leaders, and volunteers throughout the process. Foundation staff coordinates project planning, site preparation, planting activities, educational integration, and ongoing support. To ensure each forest becomes a meaningful educational tool, teachers receive training through:
- Project Learning Tree®, which provides standards-based environmental education resources and activities
- Teachers Conservation Workshop, which immerses educators in forestry and natural resource management through hands-on experiences and professional development
These programs help teachers confidently incorporate outdoor learning into their classrooms.
Inspire future environmental leaders
Join the Movement
Grow the next generation of environmental stewards. When you take part in this work, you help create lasting change and equip young people with the knowledge, curiosity, and confidence to care for the world around them.
We invite you to join us in this transformative effort.
Start a Schoolyard Forest at a school in your community and bring outdoor learning to your school. Schoolyard Forests provide students with hands-on experiences that foster environmental literacy, academic engagement, and community pride.
Connect with us by emailing [email protected] to bring a Schoolyard Forest to a school in your community.
Help plant the seeds of connection, learning, and stewardship across Alabama.
You can support Schoolyard Forests through:
- Tree donations
- In-kind materials and resources
- Corporate and community partnerships
Inspiring the Future
Today’s students will become tomorrow’s forest stewards.
Together, we can create outdoor classrooms that inspire curiosity, strengthen communities, and help Alabama’s forests thrive for generations to come.