Celebrating 40 Years of Field Study Experiences for School Children at Arnold Arboretum

Last updated on November 20, 2024

This fall marks a significant milestone for the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University as it celebrates the fortieth anniversary of its flagship programs for children’s education, the Field Study Experiences (FSE). Since their inception in 1984, the Field Studies have been a cornerstone of local environmental education, serving more than 4,500 students annually from kindergarten through sixth grade, primarily from Boston Public Schools (BPS).

Field Study Experiences began in 1984, when BPS administrators solicited local museums for assistance in teaching science to elementary school students. The Arnold Arboretum responded enthusiastically, recognizing the opportunity to connect children with nature and foster a love for the natural world. Forty years on, the programs continue to make a difference in sparking curiosity and turning the outdoors into a rich and exciting classroom for kids.

“The programs,” reported the Harvard University Gazette when FSE was launched, “involve intensive work measuring, observing, and recording information about the Arboretum’s living collections of trees and shrubs.” Then as now, the programs were designed and promoted to make science relevant and exploratory for urban schoolchildren. “Science should be taught as a living experience, not as a dead language,” the Gazette continued. “Usually, it’s taught as a series of facts and events that have already taken place. We want to let the students do their own figuring and observing and come away from the experience with something tangible.”

Over the past four decades, the program has continued to honor this model, growing and evolving over time to become an integral part of the Arboretum’s public mission as well as the larger educational landscape in Boston. Created and sustained through the unrestricted memberships and gifts of donors, FSE—like the Arboretum itself—draws strength and potency through community support and participation.

A Legacy of Learning and Exploration

Each year, thousands of young students from across Boston’s public schools embark on Arboretum field trips, arriving and departing from the landscape by free bus transportation facilitated by the Arboretum. The curriculum—designed to highlight natural phenomena and ephemeral changes in spring and fall—aligns with state science standards, ensuring that students not only enjoy their time outdoors but also gain applicable knowledge and STEM-focused skills. Beginning with the introduction of flora and fauna to preschool and kindergarten children, through explorations of habitats and introductory biology for early elementary grades, to lessons in ecology and ethnographic studies for upper elementary students—FSE programs build understanding from the ground up to make the study of science more engaging and meaningful.

“The Field Study Experiences have been a transformative force in environmental education,” said William (Ned) Friedman, Director of the Arnold Arboretum. “Four decades in and still going strong, we have had the privilege of introducing young minds to the wonders of nature, sparking curiosity and a lifelong appreciation for our environment.”

The success and longevity of FSE is due in large part to the dedicated individuals who bring the program to life. Ana Maria Caballero, the Arboretum’s Outdoor Educator, who has helped orchestrate the programs for more than a decade, believes the true strength of the Arboretum’s approach has been the participation and perspective of the program’s volunteer guides. “Our guides are really well trained in the science underpinning our programs, but it’s their enthusiasm and genuine interest in sparking and sustaining curiosity in the kids that makes an impression.” Visiting classrooms are divided into small groups led by a guide to ensure that students receive individual attention and support from a kind and knowledgeable adult. “These experiences are often their first real connection with plants and nature,” Ana Maria continues, “and the guides create an open and welcoming environment for them to discover and learn.” This often extends to the guides being conversant in the primary language of the students served.

Nancy Sableski, the Arboretum’s former manager of children’s education who retired last year, is a cornerstone and longtime champion of the Arboretum’s Children’s Education programs. Over the course of nearly 35 years, she played a pivotal role in shaping the educational experiences offered to Boston Public School students both in the classroom and in the landscape. Her ability to build strong, collaborative relationships with teachers and administrators ensured that the programs met the needs of the schools while leveraging the students’ innate sense of wonder and the joy of discovery.

That legacy and focus on evaluation and improvement continues through the current leadership of Katie Fox, who became manager of youth education this past year. “The Field Study Experiences represent an incredibly unique program,” she explains. “While many other institutions run field trips in a “tour style” or rotate students through stations with preset materials, we encourage kids to collect and then dissect plant matter and search for and investigate plants and insects up close. Students get to immerse themselves in the content and see nature in action.”

Expanding Horizons

Recognizing the importance of continuing environmental education beyond elementary school, the Arnold Arboretum has expanded the scope of its children’s programming in recent years to reach even more students. This includes the development of a summer program for middle school students (Arboretum Young Scientists) and providing ecology-focused programs for high school participants. These advanced programs build on the foundation established by the Field Studies, providing a bridge of science learning that provides increasingly specialized and sophisticated learning opportunities.