On a relatively small patch of land next to the Faculty of Education at the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras Campus (UPRRP) sits the Environmental Education Science Lab (LEADS, for its acronym in Spanish). This green space features tables arranged for recreational activities such as picnics, and outdoor classes. An 80-year-old ceiba tree provides ample shade that lowers the temperature for a cooler environment.
Think of this ceiba tree’s roots as an instant connection to learning enrichment. For 80 years, this tree’s roots have continued to deepen in the ground, absorbing all the rich nutrients from the soil with an expertise that can only be acquired through decades. Like this tree, elementary to university age students step out of their classrooms and learn about sustainable living, a curriculum imperative to teach as the newer generations face the harsh effects of climate change.
Under the ceiba tree, deemed the “Rinconcito verde” (Green Corner), people of all ages sit under the shade to learn about planting, the importance of environmental conservation, and, on some days, enjoy classes sitting on the grass.
The area known as “EcoCreando,” developed by LEADS, functions as an outdoor learning space within the Río Piedras campus, where interdisciplinary projects engage with the natural environment.
“This semester, the preschoolers from the nursery school started the sunflower walk project; where they plant sunflowers in a designated area, so we can also enjoy the beautiful scenery. We work on the idea that this can bring pollination. Also, the sunflower itself symbolizes joy and hope, and it really stirs up excitement in the children as they watch them grow,” shared Yanitza Lebrón Camacho, a teacher at the UPR Río Piedras Nursery School and LEADS activity coordinator, during an in-person interview for Her Campus.
Through farming plantains, gandules, lettuce, and avocados, the students are taught how certain plants endure the effects of climate change and which are more likely to adapt to the tropical conditions on the island. The teachers make sure to emphasize the importance of growing produce at home, to promote food sovereignty and sustainability.
In this space, students have worked with the UPR High School’s (UHS) Mathematics and Physics team on initiatives including designing irrigation systems using geometric concepts, as well as renewable energy projects and rainwater harvesting through storage systems.
LEADS also has a butterfly garden, where they have successfully hatched Monarch butterflies and observed sightings of zebra butterflies. As students learn about the metamorphosis life cycle of butterflies, they also learn about the importance of evolution and how change is part of a natural process. Just like butterflies, children learn to adapt and overcome the hardships that climate change has brought upon them.
“Before, children spent a lot of time in parks and forests, sharing much more contact with nature, compared to now, when technology increasingly captures their attention, often from enclosed spaces,” explained Lebrón Camacho.
As the decades reflect strength and resilience in the roots of the ceiba tree, and butterflies emerge from their chrysalis, students learn to appreciate the natural processes of the environment. By guiding students to dig their hands into the earth and learn about the importance of maintaining it, LEADS demonstrates how a “small step” can go a long way — making a meaningful difference in the fight against climate change.