WEST POINT — Whether its observing the life cycle of butterflies or learning how plants grow, students at West Point Elementary won’t be studying in school; they’ll be out in nature in an outdoor classroom.

The school became the first in Cullman County to be certified as an official outdoor classroom Wednesday by the state, and teachers and students celebrated by honoring all those who helped back the project possible.

School officials hope the classroom will provide a model for other county schools and those across the state who would want to develop an outdoor classroom and schoolyard wildlife habitat for hands-on learning opportunities for their students.

West Point Elementary’s outdoor classroom includes an assortment of “learning stations” where students can participate in a variety of real-world studies including the following:

* Songbird habitat that provides observation and research opportunities as students monitor bluebirds that use the nesting boxes to raise their young and the ruby-throated hummingbirds that use the bird feeders.

* Raised bed gardens where students learn how to grow, harvest and eat healthy vegetables and herbs.

* Butterfly garden, where students study the life cycle stages of a butterfly and the migration patterns of butterflies like the Monarch butterfly that migrates to Mexico each winter.

* Small fish pond that provides a home for a variety of fish and frogs.

* Shade garden where native woodland wildflowers and other shade-loving plants can be studied.

* Log decomposition station where students can observe the processes of decomposition and biodegradation.

* Weather station that allows the students to monitor weather patterns and witness how different weather patterns cause changes in the environment.

* Eastern box turtle habitat where students can learn about the behavior and physical characteristics of turtles including their hibernation activities.

* Outdoor pavilion where students can sit with their teachers to discuss the data and observations they have collected in the outdoor classroom site.

James Fields, former state representative and District 4 Director of the Alabama Wildlife Federation, presented the school with an official Alabama Outdoor Classroom certification sign Wednesday and an activity kit that included magnifying loupes, compasses, and field identification guides for students to use to explore their outdoor classroom’s habitat.

West Point Elementary’s outdoor classroom planning committee is headed up by Audrey Parker, West Point’s Science Lab Instructor, and also includes Angie Yarbrough, Kallen Hulsey, Tina Yovino, Kelli Powell, Ginger Powell, Amy Griffin, and Cathy Robinson.

The school’s outdoor classroom is a community project with financial, technical and volunteer support being provided by the Alabama Wildlife Federation, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Alabama Mountains, Rivers & Valleys RC&D Council, West Point Elementary Parent Involvement Team and other local volunteers and businesses.

Doug Phillips with the Alabama Public Television show “Discovering Alabama” donated the entire DVD series including approximately 80 DVDs which explore Alabama’s wild places and natural resources. Attendees were given a guided tour of the outdoor classroom, with students explaining to parents about each station.

The Alabama Outdoor Classroom (AOC) Program is a partnership between the Alabama Wildlife Federation, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System 4-H and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. More 300 schools across Alabama are developing and using outdoor classroom sites through the program.

It provides technical assistance for schools who want to develop sustainable outdoor “learning stations” and wildlife habitat that can be utilized for engaging, investigative activities that allow students of all ages to utilize multiple-disciplinary skills (including math, science, history, geography, and language arts) in a fun and exciting environment.

For more information on the Alabama Outdoor Classroom Program, visit the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s website at www.alabamawildlife.org/classrooms.