Although less than two miles apart, students attending Lylburn Downing Middle School and Maury River Middle School have limited opportunities to get to know one another before arriving at Rockbridge County High School as 9th graders. A new outdoor club facilitated by Boxerwood – and in partnership with both middle schools – is helping these youth build friendships not only with one another but also with the Earth. Funded by a 2024 grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the EarthKeepers Club successfully concluded its first pilot year in December, with club members enthusiastically awaiting its return in the 2025 spring season.
Based at MRMS, the Club met weekly through the spring and fall seasons, with a goal of connecting to one another through adventure and environmental service. “The key element was Barger Pond,” explained Caroline Coons, one of the Boxerwood educators leading the club. As the youths discovered, this large constructed pond is only a brisk 15-minute walk from MRMS. Located just outside Lexington City limits, the pond is a natural haven for wildlife. When Boxerwood learned that property owners – and Boxerwood supporters – Chuck and Susan Barger were keen to plant more trees around the pond to increase habitat, the idea for the new Club came together quickly. With the Bargers onboard, Boxerwood contacted principals at both schools to see if a joint eco-adventure club was something they’d like to pilot, and indeed it was. There were some logistics to figure out, including transport of LDMS students to MRMS, and provision of a school representative from MRMS, yet it all came together. “Both Dr. Keesee at LDMS and Ms. Stevens at MRMS have been fantastic to work with,” said Elise Sheffield, Boxerwood’s Program Director who oversees the project.
With startup funds from the Chesapeake Bay Trust, the Club commenced in April 2024 with ten pioneering students. Fifteen new students from both schools joined the Club this fall. “Most of the kids did not know one another and represented different grades,” said Caroline, “so we really focused on building relationships.” Fortunately, outdoor adventure made that easy, continued Caroline, explaining that there was plenty of opportunity for bonding on the mile-long trek to and from the pond, and of course their environmental adventures deeply connected them with the natural world and one another. As part of Club format, Boxerwood educators offered the youth two small-group options each week, allowing for youth voice and choice. Early in the season, the EarthKeepers focused on exploring the shoreline, looking for birds, investigating cattails, casting animal tracks, conducting water quality tests, and mapping landforms. But there was also time for art, said Caroline, “and they really loved creating walking haiku about what they were seeing and feeling.”
By the end of the fall season, Caroline said, club members had a clearer understanding of both the value of the pond for wildlife as well as the need for more cover and habitat. That’s when the club moved forward with a reforestation project that began last spring. Since very dry conditions were not favorable for planting more trees this fall, the youths focused on protecting the trees planted in spring by installing wire cages to prevent deer predation. “The stewardship action day in December was very memorable,” noted Caroline. “The wind was blowing, it was cold and almost dark, and all the kids were working together – they didn’t want to stop. We were a team!”
The twin emphases on friendship and collective Earth care is deliberate, said Elise. “The fact is that we hear many accounts of youth today struggling emotionally,” she said, “and those stressors don’t come just from the pandemic or cell phone overuse or social media. For some, it’s about climate anxiety,” she said, explaining that major mental health studies have noted environmental concerns among young people especially. “These days, so much is beyond our individual sphere of control,” commented Elise, “so it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged. Working together, however, on something tangible and real and wonderful as nature – and making a difference – that’s a healing path. It’s a small thing we’re doing, but it matters. We really want to thank the schools again for collaborating with us on this new initiative, and the property owners as well, and of course the kids.” Now in winter hiatus, the Club plans to resume its activities in early spring, with tree planting as well as pond kayaking by youth demand already on the docket.