Zoe Nye describes herself as a “nature freak.” As a student in 4-H, she was excited to hear about a new club at Ardmore High for enthusiasts like her.

She almost had to miss the first major activity due to her age, but the teacher, Starr Weems de Graffenreid, found a spot for her as photographer. Nye was 14 and “the baby of the group,” but she loved it.

Now, as an Ardmore senior, she still considers herself the baby in some regards. She also can’t thank de Graffenreid and the naturalist studies group enough for helping her figure out what she wants to be after high school and giving her the confidence to achieve her goals.

“There are a lot of clubs at Ardmore, and you kind of have to be ‘this person’ and fit a type,” Nye said. “In nature studies, you don’t have to be anyone but yourself.”

The club was named the best environmental education study or curriculum at the annual meeting of the Environmental Education Association of Alabama on Feb. 28. The naturalist studies club focuses on arts-integrated environmental education, allowing students to explore Alabama’s geography, geology and ecology.

They can even become certified Alabama Water Watch water chemistry and stream biomonitoring volunteers, according to a release about the program. Students also attend a wilderness first aid course, though the skills they learn can be used in more than just the wilderness.

“They do miss a little bit of class for it, but we do stuff on spring break and in the afternoons and things like that,” de Graffenreid said.

Ardmore High’s program is currently the only one in the district, and it will be transitioning from a club to a full-credit elective course next year, she said. De Graffenreid hopes the program can expand to include other schools soon.

“Most people in Alabama don’t know we have such biodiversity here,” she said. “Scientists know it, but it’s not something that’s wildly publicized. These kids are the ones that are going to have to make decisions about it, so the more they know and the more connected they are to it before they have to make a decision, the better.”

Of course, in such a technology-driven time, it doesn’t take much in the way of diversity to amaze a student. Naturalist students go on adventures year-round, from hiking to kayaking to sifting through sand for fossils.

Sometimes, it’s the seemingly mundane that sparks the most excitement for a student. De Graffenreid said she was leading a group through Bankhead National Forest once when a student in the back of the group began screaming.

“I’m like, ‘Oh, no. What happened?'” de Graffenreid recalled, admitting she thought it was a snake or something worrisome.

It turned out to be a harmless snail. For some, it’s a commonplace sight; for the student, it was the first time they’d encountered such a creature in real life.

De Graffenreid said she often gets emails from parents thanking her for the life lessons and experiences their children gained in the club.

Nye is thankful, too.

“She’s probably the highlight of Ardmore High School,” Nye said of de Graffenreid. “She embraces what makes everyone different and allows us to be ourselves. … She’s more than a teacher, in my mind. She’s my mentor.”

Through naturalist studies, Nye realized she wants to be a herpetologist, or reptile biologist. She plans to minor in environmental law when she starts school at Mississippi State University this fall.

She said without the club at Ardmore, she’s not sure she would have enjoyed high school as much as she has.

“It’s always kind of been there for me,” she said. “… Anything you want to do, you can do it there. We do medical, we go outside, we do art, we study — we’re just a quirky bunch. The people I started with, I was nothing like and I was years younger than, and they became my best friends. We still talk today.”

Envirothon

The club may have already won a best-in-state award from EEAA in February, but they look to do it again at a statewide competition in April. Five members will compete as a team in Columbiana.

De Graffenreid said students are asked to find a solution for a complex environmental issue and present their solution to a panel of judges. They must also test their knowledge on a variety of topics, such as wildlife, aquatics, forestry and a special topic that changes each year.

“It helps them think about things in far more than black and white,” de Graffenreid said. “… They’re going to have to think, ‘This is best for the community or economy, but this is best for the environment,’ and there’s not always a perfect solution.”

Qualifying teams will go on to the national competition July 26–Aug. 1 in Nebraska.