Eat sustainably, choose school meals!

• Check out the Earth Week section of the April elementary menu. The menu includes local items such as bread, chia bars, milk, tamales, and tortillas.  Menus will also feature a new plant-based favorite, Rebellyous Kickin’ Tenders.
• As part of AISD Earth Week, all Austin ISD schools will feature locally grown, organic strawberries from Fredericksburg Peach Co. in Spicewood, TX at lunch on Tuesday and Thursday.
• Did you know that all 115 of AISD cafes receive monthly sustainability training? Lessons are related to the work done around composting, share tables, energy efficiency, and reusable serviceware.
• Cafe staff will celebrate Earth Week by wearing Earth Week t-shirts on Monday, April 22 and by playing Earth Week BINGO! The bingo cards include kitchen-focused zero waste strategies, as well as personal suggestions.
• As a recipient of an Austin Ed Fund Inspire the Future grant, Food Service will hold their Foods of the Future event on April 23. Culinary students from Austin, Bowie, and Travis High Schools, as well Clifton Career Development Center, will sample creative dishes using unique ingredients developed in collaboration with sustainable food experts.

Display your Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights Poster

Read the Children’s Outdoor Bill of Rights and print your own copy for your classroom in English and Spanish. Research shows children who learn and play in nature are healthier, happier and perform better in school. Austin ISD leaders signed the pledge to support the Austin Children's Outdoor Bill of Rights, which was passed by the City Council in 2017.

Spring has Sprung, Time to Mulch!

Do your schools need mulch to prepare them for summer? Apply for an Urban Forest Grant to fund your tree mulching project and visit the AISD Urban Forest Web Page for tips on how to properly mulch your trees. Mulching trees is essential for our Urban Forest’s long-term health, especially in Texas. Mulch helps conserve water, acts as a temperature regulator, and encourages soil microorganisms that will help improve the soil (source: Texas A&M Forest Service). 

April 27th, Partners for Education, Agriculture, & Sustainability (PEAS) Farm Fest 

All are invited to join the the PEAS Earth Day Farm Fest to celebrate Mother Earth (our Planet) and the joyful connections we cultivate through Outdoor Learning and Edible Education. Enjoy family activities, nature arts, local vendors, chef demos & yummy food, live music  & DJ. PEAS also invites volunteers to help with the event.

Learn about green schoolyards

Check out these green schoolyard infographics and learn how green schoolyards can promote physical activity, provide mental health benefits, improve academic outcomes, encourage beneficial play, about the benefits of green schoolyards.

Start a Schoolyard Habitat at your school

To help reconnect today's children to the outdoors, the National Wildlife Federation assists schools in developing outdoor classrooms called Schoolyard Habitats, where educators and students learn how to attract and support local wildlife. Learn how to design, build, certify, and use your Schoolyard Habitat with this guide from the National Wildlife Federation. 

Coloring Activity Book

Explore nature as an artist with these print-ready coloring activity books in English and Spanish. Take an outdoor adventure and learn about seeds, leaves, and the creatures that rely on them. Brought to you by the City of Austin’s Community Tree Preservation Division.

Lights out for birds!

Protect our migrating birds by turning off all non-essential lights at night from March 1 - June 15, especially during the peak migration period of April 22 (Earth Day!) - May 12. Be on the lookout for hundreds of millions of birds migrating through our state on their way north from their southern wintering grounds. Learn more about Lights Out Texas and follow our birds on the live migration maps.

Activities from The City of Austin’s Watershed Protection Department

Perform a water pollution test using bugs, conduct a scavenger hunt of a nearby park, take a virtual cave tour, learn green gardening techniques, investigate Barton Springs Salamanders, and more with The City of Austin Watershed Protection’s Youth Education activities. Some lessons are available in Spanish.  When we protect the land, we protect our water!

Families in Nature

Families in Nature activities are aimed at teaching children and their parents about ecology and conservation through hands-on experiences in nature, while they spend quality family time together. Use these guides in Spanish and English to explore the fossils, rocks, and water all around you!

Green Schoolyards America and the International School Grounds

Green Schoolyards America and the International School Grounds Alliance publish free downloadable books that include 250 hands-on activities and curriculum ideas. Activities were designed to help schools make the most of their school grounds—and the majority of the ideas can be modified for use in backyards and neighborhoods.

Texas Forest Service Nature Challenge

Take the Texas Forest Service Nature Challenge, an interactive platform that connects communities with opportunities to learn, explore, and engage with the natural world. Pick a challenge from the Anywhere, Virtual Challenges, or Home & School tabs, download the necessary resources, and get to learning! Earn badges or post your challenge progress to social media with #TexasNatureChallenge

Tree Folks Activities

Get involved by volunteering! Treefolks is a local forestry non-profit with a mission to empower Central Texas to build stronger communities through planting and caring for trees. Volunteer opportunities include:

• Workdays at the Treefolks Nursery (weekdays). 
• Tree Care Event at Graham Elementary (Saturday, April 27th). 

Register by following this link to the volunteer events page. 

Don't have time to volunteer? Nominate trees for the Treefolks Tree of the Year program and help shine a light on great trees at your school! 

Google Arts and Culture: Virtual National Park

Tour a National Park virtually! Fly over volcanoes, kayak through icebergs, swim though a coral reef, and trek through a cave as you discover the hidden world of our national parks.