Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Students honored for Tiny Forest Living Lab after state grant funds outdoor classroom
Loading...
Summary
Students from Readington Township were recognized at the May 4 Board of Education meeting for work on a student-designed Tiny Forest Living Lab, which presenters said was funded by a $40,000 NJDEP grant plus additional awards and involves partnerships with universities and nonprofit conservation groups.
At the Readington Township Board of Education meeting on May 4, students and staff were recognized for the Tiny Forest Living Lab, a student-designed outdoor classroom project funded in part by a $40,000 grant the presenters attributed to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.
The board was introduced to the project during a recognition segment that named the Tiny Forest as an ecology of trees, people and hands-on learning. Speakers said the living lab will include three zones — an experimental ‘neowocke’ planting zone, a climate and phenology research zone for tracking environmental change, and a sensory-growth zone meant to provide calming outdoor space for students. Presenter Remy Noll described the project as a “student-designed outdoor learning space that restores ecology and engages students through hands-on learning, citizen science and community connection.”
Why it matters: presenters said the Tiny Forest both provides curriculum-connected, experiential learning and serves as a community-accessible outdoor classroom. Staff and students told the board the project supports career pathways (woodshop and ceramics), student summer jobs and scalable climate education that other schools could replicate.
Project details presented to the board include: a planting of 212 native New Jersey trees already installed; plans to bring roughly 114 additional trees through a future donation; student-led data work called Project VITA (Visual Interactive Trend Analysis) to track ecological data; and presentations and recognition at external venues including a recent Columbia University event. Speakers cited partnerships with organizations and institutions such as NJ Audubon, Rutgers University, Columbia University, Monmouth University, NASA GLOBE and the National Phenology Network.
Presenters identified multiple funding sources and awards that supported the work. The transcript records a $40,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, a later award described in the meeting as approximately $10,000 from a sustainable-schools program, and a $3,500 first-place award from the STEM Next Foundation. Board members and staff praised Jason Bohm and other facilities and administrative staff for managing the grants and logistics.
Students from the middle school were called forward and received certificates; the presenters read names of honorees across sixth, seventh and eighth grades and singled out several students for special recognition. The board complimented students’ public speaking and the project’s combination of on-the-ground planting and grant-writing that, according to board commentary, helped secure more than $60,000 in external funds for district projects this year.
What the board asked and next steps: board members asked about permitting and whether the Tiny Forest could be counted as offset for tree removals associated with other referendum projects. Staff said township permits and approvals will be required before any removal and that reforestation or replacement plantings would be planned; final determinations require township review and appropriate soil-conservation approvals. Presenters said documentation of project timelines and live project tracking is posted on the district website for community review.
The recognition portion concluded with certificates and photos; the superintendent praised the students’ academic and extracurricular work and thanked staff and community partners who supported the living lab.
