Middle Way School

This spring, students took meaningful steps toward healing our local ecosystem by planting regionally appropriate understory species within our campus forest enclosure, including jack-in-the-pulpit, wild geranium, and Solomon’s seal. This Forest Restoration Project is supported by an Ecological Restoration Grant from Partners for Climate Action, which supports community-led efforts to rebuild biodiversity and strengthen climate resilience.

Naturally occurring understory plants play a vital role in forest health. They stabilize soil, support pollinators, provide habitat for wildlife, and help regulate moisture and temperature on the forest floor—functions that are especially critical as our region adapts to a changing climate. By reintroducing these species, our students are not just planting seedlings; they are restoring the layered complexity that makes a forest thrive.

This project is also a powerful learning experience, connecting students directly to ecological and environmental science, and the long-term thinking required to care for a living landscape. We are proud to see our students take an active role in this important work.

The next time you visit our campus, we invite you to stop by the forest enclosure and witness the transformation unfolding… season by season, root by root.

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