During the 2014-2015 school year South Valley Academy was asked to take part in a partnership with the new Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge in the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Over the summer I led the team of 10th grade teachers in developing interdisciplinary environmentally focused curriculum that would be taught throughout the 2014-2015 school year. Each core teacher has played a major role in teaching our sophomores about environmental issues through each of their own lenses. The 10th grade teachers have also given up precious classroom instruction time to offer support on a number of outdoor adventures we have taken this year!
August 6, 2014: Rio Grande Nature Center field trip - 1st day of school for my 10th grade students. We used this field trip to learn about the upcoming year-long environmental education program we started. The Rio Grande Nature Center is a state park that was created by a community concerned with the destruction and deforestation of the nearby bosque. A group of environmentally aware citizens fought for this beautiful space now in it's third decade.
The Rio Grande Nature Center is a place for the young and old and everyone in between to hike, bird watch, learn about desert gardens, the geology of the area, the river, and all that makes this riparian zone so special. Read more about RGNC from the Friends of the Rio Grande Nature Center's website @ www.rgnc.org.
On September 4th the 10th grade team went out into the community to learn more about sustainable farming and organic foods. This group went to the South Valley Organic Acres at Gutierrez-Hubble House in the South Valley. We had a blast! The kids helped get rid of some weeds-organic style-and even got to pick some fresh veggies to bring home! They were singing, laughing, and asked if they could go back to help again. I love it!
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