By Dr. Roberta Hunter
Schools in action
When you enter the courtyard of Lincoln Middle School in Kearny, you see that the teachers and students have made the most of a rare outdoor space. There is a covered pavilion, an outdoor classroom, bird feeders, raised beds with crops and pollinator plants and children learning. The produce from the courtyard garden is donated to families and a food bank. Students worked with local businesses and Rutgers University to install a rain garden to absorb rainwater coming off the roof, then taught other middle school students how to create their own. Their gardening club made Lincoln Middle School a bird-friendly school by identifying birds, observing their behavior, making presentations and fliers and building habitat for them.
Across the state in Hillside, the climate ambassadors at Hurden Looker Elementary School have transformed their school community’s relationship with sustainability in just a few months. The Ambassadors began by creating an EcoCode rooted in their school’s existing ROAR pledge, which stands for Respect, Organized, Accountable and Responsible, reframing it through an environmental justice lens.
Students designed posters and visited every classroom to share them with the school. They collected plastic bottle caps from students, families and community members to build a data-driven art installation on climate change. Guided by their art teacher, their exhibit has drawn more than 100 visitors.
The ambassadors also manage a hydroponic growing system in their main hallway where third and fourth graders plant, harvest and eat what they grow, opening conversations about farm-to-table eating and green careers.
After testing soil and conducting a cardboard drive to prepare the ground, they partnered with professors from Rutgers, the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Seton Hall to plan the spring planting of native trees and shrubs. Thanks to a $10,000 Sustainable Schools grant, they will be creating a Miyawaki schoolyard forest, a dense, rapidly growing, native micro forest planted on school grounds for education, environmental and mental health benefits.
Supporting teachers and students in sustainability
Supported by generous funding from PSE&G, Eco-Schools U.S. in New Jersey is a partnership between New Jersey Audubon (NJA) and the National Wildlife Federation. Participation and awards are free and more than 180 schools are currently enrolled.
Allison Mulch, NJA director of education, and I provide support for schools. Certification is annual and achieved through students and teachers completing school and community-level projects in three themes: wildlife and biodiversity, climate change and healthy and resilient communities.
Students work with teachers to decide which of 61 action projects are important to them and fit their community. Action Cards provide background and resources to guide them through each action. There are projects for a variety of scales and difficulty levels.
“The Action Cards help busy educators work smarter, not harder. The program provides helpful resources and best practices for each eco-action and provides a valuable framework for collaborating with other teachers and community partners,” said Meghan Hooper, a middle school teacher in Atlantic City.
At George L. Catrambone Elementary School in Long Branch, students used a “Design Your Own Action Card” to grow herbs in a hydroponics system, dry and package them to take home to their families. Teachers Kelli Shaughnessy and Michele Morey said, “The Eco-Schools program has helped our Green Team turn care for our school and planet into meaningful action. It’s inspiring to watch students take ownership of sustainability and lead positive change.”
Supporting teacher learning
NJA is part of two climate collaboratives, developed by the New Jersey Department of Education to support climate change education standards, along with Rutgers University and Stockton University. Through these partnerships, NJA offers both virtual and in-person programs.
Last summer, New Jersey held the first Climate Education UnConference at Rutgers University. An unconference lets participants decide what they want to learn about with their fellow teachers and provides structure for knowledge sharing and teacher collaboration. There are three more unconferences planned for 2026, one at Rutgers and two at Stockton. The multi-day Teachers’ School of Ecology, held each August at Scherman Hoffman Wildlife Sanctuary in Bernardsville, invites teachers to explore ecology and climate change in an experiential, place-based, collaborative environment.
School-based professional development partnerships are also available for teams of educators. Staff are also available to visit schools to discuss outdoor learning opportunities and highlight which Eco-Schools U.S. Action Cards could be a good match.
Learning in your schoolyard
The Minor Leagues of Birding can bring learning to your schoolyard. Connected to NJA’s World Series of Birding, which sees teams competing to see how many birds they can see in 24 hours. Birders can use free apps like Merlin or traditional field guides to identify birds, then share your list with NJA. Want help from an experienced birder? Email roberta.hunter@njaudubon.org for more information.
Learn more
Eco-Schools U.S.: njaudubon.org/eco-schools
Sustainable Jersey Trees for Schools program: sustainablejerseyschools.com/grants/trees-for-schools