Austin Peay has a new outdoor space for class discussions, community fellowship
(Posted Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021)
Alexandra Wills, director of the Center for Service-Learning and Community Engagement at Austin Peay State University, is building the university’s first outdoor classroom, and it’s right in Austin Peay’s backyard. A handful of natural paths converge behind the Dunn Center and lead to the Outdoor Education Center.
“We have a new resource on campus that honors learning outdoors,” Wills said. “This Outdoor Education Center is a collaboration between the Center for Service-Learning and Community Engagement, the sustainability office and a lot of support from the landscaping folks to help us make it a reality.”
After a sugar maple fell during a storm near the community gardens on campus, also run by Wills, a natural amphitheater was revealed, sloping down on all sides to a center point. That’s where Wills and her student volunteers constructed a 20-by-12-foot stage. They also added two long benches, with two more under construction, that face the stage.
“Part of me was torn to just let this place be,” Wills said. “This land had a lot of potential. When the sugar maple fell and the space opened, I saw an opportunity.”
Sustainability efforts add special touches to center
Wills and her team are using trees that have fallen on campus as mulch to form the foundation for the many native wildflowers they plan to plant at the center, including milkweed plants that will attract monarch butterflies.
“We’re into sustainable solutions,” she said. “Some of the wood chips came from the ash tree in front of Ellington that they took down. We’re trying to keep it in the family, so to speak.”
Plans also include an observation rock and waterfall.
“There will be a water feature here for pollinators to be able to get water and some potential amphibian action,” Wills said.
Around the perimeter of the center, the team planted evergreen trees, which Wills affectionately refers to as “nature’s wallpaper.”
A peaceful place for class discussions, fellowship
The space is surrounded by homes. Wills wants to respect the sanctity of their space.
“This was a very quiet wooded area, and we’re embracing the land flow and keeping this a quiet area for all the neighbors while also utilizing the space a little differently than it has been,” she said.
Wills is planning an open house in October when the weather cools down.
“I’m envisioning a lovely fall afternoon with the leaves changing and it’s nice and cool,” she said. “I think it’ll get some good use. I want it to be a kind of peaceful place that classes can come and have some really good discussions, enjoy being outside, and enjoy some fellowship together outside in nature.”
A faculty member has already reserved the center to teach a class about empathy.
“They’re actually using several of these garden beds, and they’ll be having class out here as well,” Wills said.
A place for student growth, community learning
Wills could not do it on her own. She worked alongside the landscapers on campus along with her team of dedicated student volunteers.
“Our student workers are learning how to build things that are going to be here on campus for a while,” Wills said. “So it’s a really good opportunity for them.”
The venue will provide an opportunity for students to immerse themselves in nature while learning. It will also be a place for community engagement.
“It’s a great opportunity for folks to come and enjoy a little peace and quiet in a more natural setting,” Wills said. “It’s also an opportunity for the community to be able to come in and learn from some of the expertise that we have on campus about topics related to the environment. We’ve got birding experts, native plant experts and beekeepers, and all of these things that the community can take advantage of.”
If you want to help Wills, contact her at willsa@apsu.edu or visit the Center for Service-Learning and Community Engagement website at www.apsu.edu/volunteer/.
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