“Farm to Table” is taking on a whole new meaning for a group of young learners in Tucker, Georgia. Students in grades K-8 participating in The Tree of Learning, Inc.’s outdoor education program are analyzing a barren plot of ground and transforming it into a living laboratory and food garden habitat. The project is made possible by a $1000 grant from the award-winning environmental education organization, Georgia Project Learning Tree (PLT). Founder and Executive Director of The Tree of Learning, Inc., Cassi Beach, received the award for her project, “Garden to Table for All: A Student-Led Environmental Study Project.”
Beginning this month, 30 students will be focusing on the condition of – and plans for – the future eco-designed garden. Using PLT’s “Improve Your Place” activity as a framework, students will identify ways to improve their local environment before designing a solution and putting their plan into action.

“This project is a great example of what PLT is designed to inspire,” said Chelsea York, Georgia PLT Coordinator and Conservation Education Coordinator with the Georgia Forestry Commission. “Students are taking ownership of the entire process – from identifying an opportunity and developing a solution, to taking action and studying the impact. The combination of hands-on learning, problem-solving and environmental stewardship is exactly what we hope to see students carry beyond the classroom.”

Students will launch their project by documenting observations about the space. They’ll make sketches, photographs, and maps before beginning work on a custom garden habitat designed to increase biodiversity and transform underused green space into a productive outdoor learning area. Through collaboration, designs will be created to support plant life, soil health, and pollinators. Ongoing scientific investigations will document the project’s impact on the ecosystem and will include the use of motion-activated cameras to track wildlife activity.

The Tree of Learning Inc.’s grant application states the environmental study area will be utilized through winter 2026-27 and spring 2027. It will be monitored through spring, allowing students to observe seasonal changes and long-term ecological patterns.
The project is expected to help foster a sense of stewardship, increase environmental awareness, and cultivate produce that directly benefits students and the larger community.

Project Learning Tree is a program of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative ®, a nonprofit charitable organization with the mission of advancing sustainability through forest-focused collaboration. In Georgia, PLT is supported by the Georgia Forestry Commission and the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources. PLT’s wide and diverse network provides professional development for educators and opportunities for youth to explore forests and green careers.

For more information about Project Learning Tree, go to www.plt.org.

For more information about services of the Georgia Forestry Commission, visit GATrees.org.
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