What began as an effort to give students more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors has blossomed into a thriving outdoor learning space at South Ridge Elementary School, thanks to the dedication of teacher Jackie Bergeron and the school's community.
On Saturday, October 17, South Ridge families gathered for the school's latest Nature Trail Community Event, spending two hours removing invasive plants, maintaining the trail, installing a new sign, and planting native seeds.
The nature trail was originally constructed in 2023 through grant funding, transforming an underutilized, flood-prone area into a space where students can explore and learn about their natural surroundings. Bergeron helped spearhead the project, even learning to operate a skid-steer loader to move gravel during construction.
Since then, the trail has continued to evolve with help from community partners, volunteers, and students in the school's Junior Stewards Club, a recess-based group that helps maintain the space.
"Everybody owns the trail," Bergeron said. "The students know the names of the plants,they have experience taking care of it, that sort of thing. There's a lot of Roadrunner pride involved."
Twice each year, Bergeron organizes community work events, inviting South Ridge families to help maintain and improve the trail. Some volunteers have even returned after their children moved on to other schools.
Saturday's event also featured a special lesson from Bergeron's daughter, Olivia "Ollie" Bergeron, a junior at Ridgefield High School. Ollie taught younger students about native plants, pollinators, and the importance of conservation while helping them plant native seeds.
"By learning about the nature trail, I hope kids get a spark of inspiration towards learning about the environment and the impact that they want to create," Ollie said.
Looking ahead, Bergeron hopes to continue expanding the trail's educational opportunities, potentially adding a dedicated outdoor classroom.
"I would love to do a true outdoor classroom space and to just continue building upon what we've already started," she said.
Bergeron also welcomes additional volunteers and community experts interested in supporting the project.
"I’m just trying to get kids to be outside, connect with nature," she said. "It's not just South Ridge's trail. It’s the community’s. I mean, everybody is benefiting from it."