“When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect.”
— Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac (1949)
Growing up in south Louisiana, Matthew Herron spent most of his time outdoors, learning and teaching others about the flora and fauna of his state.
That was the start of his quest to instruct and inspire others in the Gulf South to learn and appreciate nature. Herron was inspired by the historic pioneers of outdoor education, naturalists Aldo Leopold, John Muir and Henry David Thoreau.
Herron, 38, started the Coastal Plains Outdoor School in the spring of 2020 with a goal of “getting people of all ages involved with nature to help develop a deeper relationship with the land and with each other.”
Next month, the school is offering its first overnight retreat.
Such outdoor education is not new; outdoor schools have been connecting people to the natural world for more than 50 years.
In the U.S., there are more than 500 nature-based preschools. Some programs are exclusively for middle school or high school students and can consist of a residential or journey wilderness-based experience in which students participate in outdoor activities like hiking and canoeing combined with environmental education.
Although they are not well known in the Gulf South region, outdoor schools are widespread in the Midwest, on the East Coast and in the upper Southeast.
“I am passionate about biodiversity, place-based education and connecting people with the land that sustains us,” he said.
Herron’s love of nature led him to teach at Boy Scout summer camps and at other outdoor schools after receiving a degree in English and German from LSU. He went on to study ecological succession and restoration of flood plain forests and earn a master’s degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He helped establish the Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater Baton Rouge chapter and the Capital Area Native Plant Society.
Herron also interned for eight months at the Glen Helen Outdoor Education Center in Ohio; it was there he realized the “incredible” impact that outdoor schools had on him and thousands of children. He was determined to establish a school near his home.
Working with limited funds at the school’s start, he and his adjunct instructors, Logan Wiedenfeld, Kerri McCabe and John Michael Kelly, have helped teach courses such as “Reading the Winter Landscape,” “Winter Botany of Southern Hardwood Forests,” “Winter Mushrooms of the Piney Woods” and “Restoration Basketry: Random Weave.” One of the more popular classes is “Foraging the Gulf South,” which includes foraging for plants and learning how to cook, prepare, preserve and cultivate them.
The overnight retreat, running Feb. 17-19, is a 2½-day event with multiple courses and a treasure hunt in search of the Gulf South’s forgotten forests of antiquity. “Reading the Winter Landscape Weekend: Winter Botany, Old Growth Forests and More” will take place at Chicot State Park near Ville Platte. Cost is $275, which includes instruction, handouts, lodging and meals.
Herron said he searches for public lands and parks to use so that his classes can be affordable and available to everyone. So far, classes have been geared toward adults and families to build a support base to launch future youth programs which may include summer camps and residential school field trips. He’s had diverse participation so far.
“I do ask that if younger children attend our present courses, it’s because it’s their idea, that they want to attend and learn,” Herron said.
He said he strives to make every class hands-on and interactive. Oregon and Washington state have made an outdoor school experience part of their mandatory CORE education programs, Herron said. Recently, the Washington state Legislature allocated up to $10 million to support school participation for fifth graders in an outdoor school program for the 2023 school year.
According to the “Washington Outdoor School for All” website, the immediate goal is to help children catch up on their learning and cope with the social and mental obstacles that come with being stuck at home learning on screens for the past two years.
When signing the legislation, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a graduate of Camp Waskowitz Outdoor School, said he hopes the instructional time outdoors will inspire students to pursue careers in earth science and land management, which will help prepare his state for the challenge of climate change.
For now, Herron plans and organizes the programs as well as manages the school website and all communications. Obtaining an official nonprofit status for the school is an imminent goal so he can officially begin fund development efforts.
In the past, outdoor education was aligned more with nature appreciation and conservation, but current trends and changing circumstances in the outdoor world such as climate change, nature deficit disorder, exercise fitness culture and standards-based education reform may make immersive outdoor studies a priority of all school systems nationwide, including Louisiana.
Future planned courses include wildflower, tree and butterfly identification classes and a sustainable living skills series.
“In today’s world of overstimulation and constant distractions, it takes time to decompress, slow down and clear our minds. It takes time to get comfortable with the natural world and to new people,” Herron said.
For more information on the Coastal Plains Outdoor School or to register for courses, visit www.coastalplainsoutdoor.org.
