Battle Ground — Several students, parents and staff of Laurin Middle School spent a few hours preparing the Laurin Outdoor Learning Area for planting on March 19. Volunteers dug pathways, roots and cleared out blackberry vines as part of the effort to make the area hospitable for new growth. The learning area, nicknamed LOLA, had been in the planning process for about two years before coming to fruition in July. In addition to the group that came out March 19, there is a regular “green team” where students work on preparing the area every Tuesday and Thursday, along with a supervisor and several other adults. “I think the greatest benefit (in having the outdoor learning area) is that students have personal ownership in developing, expanding and maintaining the garden,” said Mark Watrin, a science teacher for Battle Ground Public Schools. “They do the research and the work. It is also a long-term learning experience, something you have to keep coming back to and learn more in depth.”
