The More Nature Project
Creating caretakers of the land one student at a time

More Nature is an optimistic approach to implement environmental education in schools located throughout the upper and lower Keys. With an all native habitat used as an outdoor classroom centered within the school, students will be able to experience learning in all academic areas including math, language arts, reading, social studies, and science. In turn this will enable hands on and stimulating learning for all ages.


Importance of Environmental Education and Outdoor Classrooms:

Student of all ages are inconsequentially kept indoors for eight hours a day learning a variety of subjects. By the time a student reaches 6th grade they have spent approximately 260 full 24 hours days in a classroom. More Nature strongly believes we can reach students and teachers by implementing natural history and environmental education into the current curriculum that exist within each teacher.

Environmental Education can promote the following:
- Creative journaling and writing skills
- Enhance observation skills and discovery
- The ability to articulate difficult math problems by a hands on approach
- A deeper understanding of nature
- Building leadership and group skills
- Developing responsibilities and commitment towards their own local school environment
- Understanding USA National Science Education Standards
- Releasing intense hyper-active tendencies
- Studying bioregional education
- Promotes gender equality

The outdoor class room will consist of all native plants found in the Florida Keys along with different habitats such as underwater gardens, plants that are major host for native and endemic butterflies as well as enchanted hammocks.


A possible list of native plants in the habitat:
Sea Ox-eye Borrichia arborescens
American Beauty Berry Callicarpa Americana
Sea Grape Coccoloba uvifera
Silver Palm Coccothrinax argentata
Wild Coffee Colubrina arborescens
White Stopper Eugenia axillaris
Red Stopper Eugenia rhombrea
Blue Porterweed Stachytarpheta jamaicensis
Bay Cedar Suriana maritima
Keys Thatch Palm Thrinax morrisii
Ink Berry Scaevola plumieri
Jamaican caper Canella winterana
Locust Berry Byrsonima lucida
Wild Coffee Psychotria ligustrifolia
Satinleaf Chrysophyllum oliviforme
Coco-plum Chrysobalanus icaco

These are just examples from hundreds of possibilities.


How Can We Make It Happen?

Paramount to any new initiative is the support of the community. This includes school administration, teachers, school staff, volunteers, parents and most importantly students. There needs to be communication and commitment between all participants. In addition, there is the need for financial support. This can be derived from grants, fundraising, donations, and allocation from individual school budgets. For the continued success of any initiative, students must have vested interest in the success of their native habitat and take stock in every stage of this venture from development to maintaining their outdoor classroom. Students must also value the enrichment this type of learning will provide for every subject of study.




Ashley M. Moore
Founder of More Nature