Autumn Greetings!

Hello Forest Grove Community School!

Here in the Out and About world, the year has gotten off to great start, filled with learning and adventure. I will update this blog throughout the year to share the highlights the time we spend, Out and About in the community.

I’m Erin, and as an Americorps member, I will be working with your Level One and Two students as the Out and About Coordinator this school year.

I hail from the San Francisco Bay Area, where I spent many afternoons as a child crafting mudpies and climbing the Buckeye trees in my backyard. I received my Bachelor’s degree UC Berkeley, and have since been working in environmental education. Interning at a school garden in Berkeley, I discovered my passion for watching plants grow, and encouraging children to get their hands dirty. I spent last year working as an Instructor at High Trails Outdoor Science School, in the mountains of Southern California. After enjoying a summer of backpacking through the Sierras, I loaded up my possessions into my little 2-door, and drove northward to Forest Grove!

Since September, I have been busy orienting myself in town, stocking up with winter squash at the farmers' market, watching the flocks of Canadian geese at Fernhill Wetlands, and buying rain gear from the local thrift-store. And, of course, I have been getting acquainted with the Level One and Two classes on their first trips of the year, and trying desperately to remember some 140 new names!

I am looking forward to forming great relationships with all of the classes, and finding new opportunities for them to connect with the community and local environment this year. Our Out and About program is always looking to involve new volunteers, and I welcome all of you, as parents and community members, to join us on a future trip! Feel free to contact me at e.morgan@fgcschool.org.

With that, here are some highlights from the first Out and Abouts of the year:

B Street Permaculture Farm. Sherry and Karen’s class have already visited B Street Farm several times this year. As the leaves have turned bright red and orange, these classes have helped the farm harvest their final summer crops to prepare for the winter. The Barn Swallows tackled a large bed of amaranth, harvesting beautiful red bundles for drying. The Violet Green Swallows helped to collect sunflower seeds from flowers that were almost as large as them! As it turns out, it is hard work being a farmer!

Now that the farm is preparing for a winter’s rest, the students have been exploring B Street to discover what plants and creatures live there. The students will be investigating the farm to understand how these organisms can find everything they need to survive- right in the farm!

Nana Cardoon's. Rachel’s Tree Swallows visited Nana Cardoon’s, a large home garden in Forest Grove. Students collected apples with Charlene, and learned how to use a real-live cider press with Richard. They helped to harvest peppers and eggplant, and pull out weeds. After some hard farm work, there was fire-warmed cider for all, and a toast to a successful harvest!

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Last Week, All Level One classes got to bus their way to Portland to see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a play based on Roald Dahl’s book, and presented by the Oregon Children’s Theater. We got to sample handmade truffles from Moonstruck Cafe, and practive navigating busy Portland streets. It was a fun and tasty trip!



Hyla Woods. For Level Two, Charlie’s Kestrels had a few visits to the nearby Tom McCall Forest in the month of September, where they practiced the art of tree-sketching and undertook a scavenger hunt. They also reunited with Peter Hayes at Hyla Woods, a sustainable forestry site where they will be doing their second year of water quality analysis using leaf packs. This year, they brought along Gretchen’s Kestrels as well, who got to take the “mystery tour” to discover clues revealing the history of the site.

B Street Permaculture Farm. Veronica’s Peregrine Falcons have joined the other Level 2 classes in a visit to B Street where they have helped the farm set up beds for the winter. Students also got to try out using compasses in order to navigate an orienteering course, imagining what it must have been like for Lewis and Clark to make their journey westward across the United States.

Fort Clatsop. Level Two classes also ventured out to the coast to visit Fort Clatsop, the 1805 winter site of Lewis and Clark. With the resident experts, students toured the Fort replica and nearby museum, debated which kind of whale the expedition encountered on the beach, and took a nearby hike.

In the next months, students can look forward to exploring the signs of the changing season as winter approaches.

Be prepared with good boots and raincoats, and look forward to future updates!