I have taught health and physical education for 35 years at Wenonah Middle School. For 27 of those years, I have brought our sixth grade students to the New Jersey School of Conservation on a field trip that is always highly anticipated and one that delivers uniquely important lessons, experiences, and growth for all of our kids.

For these trips to continue to impact kids in positive ways, the state needs to fully fund the school at its $3 million requested level.

The School of Conservation imparts to students fundamental lessons that I believe are essential to the future of our state, country and world. Among these are respect for leaving the environment better than we found it, appreciation for the outdoor ecosystems and the species living in our state, and the value of teamwork and bonding with peers in natural settings. These lessons help develop kids into environmentally conscious adults and prepare children to serve as environmental stewards no matter their future endeavors.

When I heard that the proposed state budget would slash funding next year by 60% off the school’s budget request, I was crestfallen. There’s no way that the school, which only survived the pandemic thanks to a dedicated group of alumni and volunteers, could deliver quality programming with such few resources — especially because it needs to invest heavily in updating its historic campus so that it can remain safe for students such as ours to continue visiting.

Our overnight trips to the School of Conservation offer a number of learning opportunities for our students. The Stokes State Forest campus, with its pristine natural setting, inspires students to embrace a wider world than the one they knew before. Learning about outdoor ecosystems and species of frogs, turtles and beavers give students an appreciation for the interdependence of humanity with many forms of life with which we share our planet. Seeing these species and this ecosystem firsthand makes the science lessons they’re learning in the classroom feel more real. The way I see it, their education would be incomplete without the outdoor exposure they get at the School of Conservation.

Every year I see students work together in new ways during their time at the School of Conservation. Bonding comes in the form of building campfires together, canoeing in pairs, and going on group hikes. These activities help students discover a new form of teamwork. In addition, students get to see their teachers outside the classroom, teaching in refreshing and new ways. That experience humanizes our teaching staff and deepens trust when we return home to South Jersey.

The School of Conservation teaches kids that the natural world is a treasure that must be carefully protected. I could not think of a more important lesson for kids to learn as humanity faces the serious challenge of climate change. We need to educate kids to meet the challenge head-on by gaining firsthand experience in cutting-edge conservation practices. The conservation school is the best place to gain the initial exposure needed to grow into environmentally conscious adults and to inspire kids who are interested in the natural sciences.

This is particularly true because the School of Conservation aligns its programs to state standards; and it’s pioneering new approaches to incorporate climate change education into the classroom to align with the new climate change curriculum standard championed by first lady Tammy Murphy.

Several years ago, Gov. Murphy and the Legislature gave the School of Conservation a new lease on life by transferring management to a group of dedicated alumni and volunteers. They approved millions of dollars in state investments to reverse decades of neglect and restore many of the campus’s nearly century-old buildings.

Our school is so committed to the School of Conservation and what it represents for our students that we were proud to be the first school to return after the campus reopened.

We can’t throw all that progress away. I’m asking, on behalf of the decades of students I have brought to the School of Conservation, for the governor and Legislature to once again step in and ensure that the school gets the support it needs so that it can continue serving the youth of New Jersey for generations to come.