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An outdoor education

Alpharetta High School's new class teaches environmental ethics and skills

I still remember the day that Mr. Burton, my AP Environmental Science teacher, announced he would be launching an outdoor education class for the following school year. It was early January when he told my class. I remember looking at the overcast sky, still shaking due to the chill outside, and wondering how on earth a class would want to do anything outside in this weather. Despite the cold introduction, I soon warmed up to the idea of outdoor education. Mr. Burton explained the purpose of the class and the multitude of activities the class would offer. A combination of my love for AP Environmental Science and a  desire to learn real-life environmental skills motivated me to sign up for Outdoor Education for the 2020-2021 school year.

I think that decision may have been one of the one of the best I have made throughout my high school career. Despite the Coronavirus pandemic, we have still been able to do activities like trail running, outdoor cooking, knot tying, camping basics, archery, and kayaking by enforcing social distancing and mask-wearing. Though the intended purpose of Outdoor Education was to learn outdoorsy skills, my favorite part of the class so far has been learning environmental ethics.

As someone who cares deeply for the environment, learning small but effective ways to lessen my environmental footprint has been extremely beneficial. Small changes like knowing how to recycle, swapping single-use plastic for reusable alternatives, or just turning off the tap while brushing your teeth can have a huge impact on our Earth.

I am extremely grateful to Mr. Burton and Outdoor Education for motivating me to protect the Earth by showing all it has to offer!

Ally is a senior at Alpharetta High School.

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