Tucked behind Pine Road Elementary School in Huntingdon Valley lies a thriving nature trail and community garden, living proof of how education, environmental stewardship, and community collaboration can transform an outdoor area into something truly magical. Spearheaded by second grade teacher, Rachel Thierolf, these spaces have become a dynamic extension of the classroom, offering students hands-on experiences that nurture their minds, hearts, and love for the natural world.
Thierolf, who has been the driving force behind the trail's revitalization and the creation of the nature club, said, “The kids who come out to clean up and maintain this trail and garden can’t wait to get their hands dirty and be part of nature and work hard.”
The Pine Road Nature Trail was originally carved out of the unused woods behind the school in 1999 through a collaborative effort led by retired kindergarten teacher Joyce Pounds, Thierolf’s sister-in-law. The trail, located on the school property, followed deer paths through wetlands and along a creek that feeds into the Pennypack watershed. Although once the site of early outdoor learning, the trail fell into disrepair during construction projects in 2001 - 2003, and inactivity halted its use.
Thierolf arrived at Pine Road in 2003 and quickly took action. “I enjoy being outside; it fulfills me personally,” she shared. With the help of the school principal and community members, she began orchestrating community cleanups twice a year during which time the school community came out with their kids to help clean up this area.
With the help of a local Boy Scout troop, they built two bridges along the nature trail. They also established relationships with local tree services to receive wood chip donations. All this work has not only restored the trail but also expanded its purpose. By 2010, the trail was officially recognized as a bird habitat by the Audubon Society.
Perhaps most transformative has been the evolution from biannual community clean-up events into a thriving after-school Nature Club, an initiative that Thierolf established in 2016. What began as occasional seasonal events has grown into three weekly sessions, two each spring and one every fall, giving dozens of Pine Road Elementary School students the chance to explore the outdoors, maintain the trail and garden, and learn about local ecosystems.
Originally open to students from second through fifth grade, this year with the older students moving to a different school, it is now open to second and third graders, giving more students from this school the opportunity to join the club, although Thierolf added that there is still always a waiting list.
Each club meets for an hour after school, during which time, students spread wood chips, trim trees, turn soil, pick out weeds, plant flowers, and even clean up trash along the trail and creek. They also transplant native plants like hostas and learn how to identify local flora and fauna, including poison ivy and evidence of animal habitats.
“They just won’t stop; their parents show up to pick them up and they want to keep going,” Thierolf said with a laugh. “They really benefit from being outside and learning about the world around them.”
The Nature Club also plays a vital role in the community garden, created in 2020, which produces eggplant, cucumbers, tomatoes, basil, peppers, and beans. Students plant and tend the crops, and in the summer, school families volunteer to "adopt" the garden for a week at a time, watering, harvesting, and delivering produce to local food pantries.
“One of the things I’m most proud of is the community outreach,” Thierolf said. “It used to be just community cleanup days, but in the last six or seven years, it’s turned into this amazing nature club where kids are learning, working, and giving back.”
All of this has been accomplished with minimal funding, relying heavily on grassroots fundraising like an annual fall mum sale, for which Thierolf partners with a local nursery and enlists help from the Lower Morelend High School’s National Honor Society and the elementary school’s PTA. In addition, each nature club member pays a small fee, which covers the cost of a t-shirt and supplies. “We try to use as many found resources as we can,” Thierolf noted.
In 2019, thanks to PTA fundraising, an outdoor classroom was built adjacent to the trail and garden. “We’re really trying as a school community to incorporate the natural world into our curriculum,” said Thierolf. “It’s an extension of our classroom walls.”
The impact of the nature trail and garden stretches well beyond the Nature Club. All grade levels utilize the space for science lessons, Earth Day experiments, and simple walks. “Over the years, one of the things I’ve found most fulfilling is seeing more and more classrooms out there,” Rachel shared. “Including those outdoor spaces has become more of an expectation in our science curriculum, which is great because we have a place to do that.”
The project has also come full circle in heartwarming ways. “I have kids coming back now as high schoolers to help as volunteers; these are kids who were in the club when they were younger,” said Thierolf. “It’s my hope that the trail will continue to be maintained and the kids will continue to learn about their natural environment.”
