Sign marks the location of school garden and recognizes community partners such as the Halten Garden Club.

On September 22, Sparks Elementary School dedicated its Outdoor Learning Center and nature trail during a schoolwide celebration. To earn his Eagle Scout badge, Boy Scout Rick B., a senior at Hereford High School, dedicated an estimated 500 service hours to creating the outdoor education center on the Sparks campus. The project includes an amphitheater capable of holding 60 students, a storage shed for supplies, and a mulched trail that leads to Piney Creek.

Sparks Elementary, a Maryland Green School, takes great pride in outdoor learning and environmental awareness. The Maryland Department of Human Resources’ Green Schools Award Program recognizes Maryland schools that include environmental education in the curricula, model best management practices at the school, and address community environmental issues.

During the schoolwide dedication Sparks also recognized the many partnerships that support outdoor learning. One of those partnerships has held strong for 90 years. The Halten Garden Club has had its roots in the community since 1916. The club members maintain a garden at Sparks and conducted workshops for students last year at the first Sparks Environmental Fair.

Community partnerships provide significant support for the environmental programs. In cooperation with the Forest Buffer Restoration Project, Pat Ghinger, senior teacher naturalist/team leader from the Office of Science, along with students from Dulaney High School, planted trees along the stream on school property to prevent erosion. Students also learn more about the environment through Eco-Sharks, an afterschool environmental education program coordinated by Sparks teachers. Supporters of the Eco-Sharks program include the Chesapeake Bay Trust (which has awarded the program grants based on proposals written by students), Treemendous Maryland, and various community businesses. In September, more than 50 parents and students volunteered on a Saturday morning to help maintain the school’s nature trail, install bird houses, and plant trees.

Activities made possible by the support of the school’s partners enrich the total educational program of Sparks Elementary. “Environmental activities spark students’ curiosity and engage them actively in the learning process. Students have authentic opportunities to apply their reading, math, and writing skills and have fun at the same time,” observed Barbara Bisset, principal at Sparks.

At the celebration of partnerships ceremony, citations from County Executive Jim Smith were presented to Rick and the Halten Garden Club. The Baltimore County Public Schools Science Office, Facilities Grounds Crew, and the Central Area Office were also recognized for their support.

The theme of the celebration was “Celebrating Partnerships: Past, Present, and Future - Working Together for a Greener Tomorrow.”

Story by Missy Fanshaw, assistant principal, Sparks Elementary School. Photos by Mary Lu Pool, 5th grade teacher, Sparks Elementary School.