9th Grade Environmental Science Class Visits Poco Farm

by High School Science Teacher Brittany Borowitz

Recently, our 9th grade Environmental Science class took a trip to Poco Farm, a local nonprofit regenerative farm that opens its doors for hands-on learning opportunities. Their mission is to cultivate the compassion, connection, and skill sets needed to thrive on our changing planet, and to create a culture of ecological inquiry and meaningful learning through growing plants and raising animals on a biodiverse farm.

In the classroom, we had calculated our ecological footprints, analyzing ways to reduce our personal impacts by changing our energy consumption, modes of travel, packaging material, food systems, and lifestyle choices. We had also studied the history of environmental policy and the environmental movement, trying to understand how a lack of resource management and a rapidly growing human population led to where we are today. The students did their part to study new vocabulary terms, share ideas during class discussions, and consider impacts using case studies and models.

But on the farm, as the students cuddled baby chicks, delivered antibiotics to goats, and harvested and husked glass gem corn, they had the opportunity to feel and experience the why of it all. Why we should care about heirloom varieties and raising livestock in their native climates. Why we should consider locally-sourced food and shop within the season. Why a connection to nature and a sense of our environmental impact is important.

We plan to continue this partnership with Poco Farm, and we look forward to opening our minds, working with our hands, and learning with our hearts.