Earth Day came early this year for the kids of PS/IS 276 and Battery Park City Day School, who gathered at the southern tip of Battery Park City on Friday, April 21 to celebrate nature and the environment with the BPC Parks team. Though it was a chilly, grey day, the students were excited to get outside and learn about what makes their planet so special.
Doug van Horn, BPC Parks Senior Manager of Education and Nature Programs, first led each class on a bird-watching scavenger hunt through Wagner Park. The students were eager to spot each and every bird on their list, yelling out in delight upon discovering a new one (while also taking care not to scare any away!). Through the grey weather often causes birds to hide out of sight, each class was lucky to find almost every bird on its list. The students even learned some fun facts about the birds, including why female and male sparrows have different coloration and what birds are more likely to come out when it rains.
Afterward, each class put on bright green gloves and learned about compost with BPC Parks’ Horticulture department. Composting is essential to the parks of Battery Park City, as horticulturists collect plant waste from the parks and waste from local grocery stores, cafes, and residents in order to keep the neighborhood clean and sustain a rich biodiversity in the parks. The children learned about the process hands-on, digging composted soil and playing (gently!) with the worms inside. The creepy crawlies brought looks of horror, fascination, and everything in between to the faces of the students, and they could barely be torn away from the soil when it was time to move on.
Finally, the classes lined up to look at the worms under a microscope, eliciting many squeals and yelps upon the discovery of food swirling around inside the worms’ bellies.
Ultimately, the kids of PS/IS 276 and Battery Park City Day School braved the cold weather with a great spirit and had a blast celebrating their planet for Earth Day. They will even get to continue the celebration back in their classrooms, planting a selection of herbs gifted by the BPC Parks horticulturist team.
Happy Earth Day!
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