Edison Middle School celebrated its completed outdoor learning space on May 21, 2025, with a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Edison staff, Superintendent Vicki Bayer, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Urban Forestry Coordinator Patricia Linquist, and representatives from the American Transmission Company (ATC) and Wisconsin’s K-12 Forestry Education Program – LEAF were in attendance.

The outdoor classroom surrounds a stormwater retention area that Edison science teacher Scott Stromberger said the Edison Environmental Club has been turning into a native pollinator garden for the past few years. The diverse plants in the garden have very different adaptations and attract a variety of birds and insects, which Stromberger said teachers can use as learning tools for students.

The outdoor classroom at Edison compliments a greenhouse and campus arboretum that teachers can use to supplement their classroom lessons and provide students with hands-on learning experiences.

DNR Urban Forestry Coordinator Patricia Linquist said the DNR hopes that this project will serve as an example for other schools looking to increase utilization of their school yards, and that other schools will develop outdoor classrooms in partnership with donors. 

“Edison has put an incredible amount of passion and hard work into this project,” Linquist said. 

Lindquist detailed the efforts the Edison team has made including:

• Every staff member completed the Needs Assessment survey about outdoor learning
• Lead teacher Scott Stromberger designed custom, permanent seating for the outdoor classroom 
• A successful tree planting day in October was a learning experience for students
• Teachers participated in LEAF’s (Wisconsin’s K-12 Forestry Education Program) staff training in the spring of 2025 and were enthusiastic about integrating the new outdoor classroom into the curriculum
• Edison is on track to be recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation as a Tree Campus K-12 in 2025

“Our greenhouse is used by many different classes and grade levels to learn more about how to care for plants and it also supports our school vegetable garden,” Stromberger said. The arboretum is a great new addition to Edison’s campus. The trees planted around the school will give students so many benefits for years to come.”

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