Gainesville Exploration Academy has received exemplary distinction as a National Wildlife Federation Eco-School. The Eco-Schools program strives to model environmentally sound practices, provide support for greening the curriculum and enhance science and academic achievement. Additionally, the program’s initiatives strive to foster a greater sense of environmental stewardship among youth.

The school has received this honor through the creation of the Pachyderm Path, a nature trail located behind the school. The trail is a little over a half mile and features a solar system walk with QR codes to learn about the planets. Scattered along the trail are the letters of the alphabet for younger students to find.  

Students can engage in scavenger hunts that correlate to language arts, science and social studies instructional standards.  

An interactive timeline highlighting the Civil War is also included along the trail. Teachers can tailor their lesson plans to incorporate the nature trail as an instructional resource for hands-on student learning.

Compiled by Clark Leonard