# AmeriCorps volunteer reflects on year teaching environmental lessons **Published:** 2025-08-22T13:50:22.000Z **Source:** [Bluegrass Greensource](https://bggreensource.org/reflection-on-a-year-at-bluegrass-greensource/) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/americorps-volunteer-reflects-on-year-teaching-environmental-lessons Paige Beichler's year as an AmeriCorps volunteer with Bluegrass Greensource has been defined by a simple phrase: "I didn't know that!" — repeated countless times by students and adults alike as they learned unexpected facts about nature, according to [a reflection published on the organization's website](https://bggreensource.org/reflection-on-a-year-at-bluegrass-greensource/). [Bluegrass Greensource offers environmental education and resources to schools and community groups throughout central Kentucky](https://bggreensource.org/what-we-do/), and [Kentucky's Environmental Education Leadership Corps coordinates AmeriCorps members in support of nonprofits and government agencies that lead environmental literacy and education programs across Kentucky](https://11-1). Beichler served in the EEL Corps, the Environmental Education Leadership program. Working primarily with preschool and kindergarten classrooms, Beichler helped facilitate lessons created by Rachel Patton, the education director, that bring complex ecological concepts to life for young learners. One signature activity is "The Tree Factory," where children embody different parts of a tree — roots absorbing water, bark protecting the trunk, branches reaching toward the sun, and leaves converting sunlight's energy. The interactive, kinetic lesson proved far more effective than traditional textbook instruction, Beichler noted. Other lessons covered dragonfly life cycles, beaver anatomy, and invasive species identification. Throughout the year, these activities sparked what Beichler described as an enduring curiosity about nature in her young students. The move to [Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary in Woodford County](https://bggreensource.org/buckley/), where [Bluegrass Greensource has been leading efforts to enhance educational opportunities at the sanctuary since July 2024](https://21-10), brought both challenges and unexpected delights. Staff meetings are frequently paused to observe local wildlife, while operational challenges — like slow internet and occasional wildlife encounters with black snakes — are balanced against sightings of deer and groundhogs on the sanctuary grounds. Beichler began her service year uncertain about environmental education, armed mainly with boxes of teaching resources and limited expertise. She credits professional development training, the organization's robust resource library, and mentorship from staff like Patton with building her knowledge and confidence. ## Sources - [Bluegrass Greensource](https://bggreensource.org/reflection-on-a-year-at-bluegrass-greensource/) - [Bluegrass Greensource - What We Do](https://bggreensource.org/what-we-do/) - [Kentucky Environmental Education Council's AmeriCorps Program](https://keec.ky.gov/eelc/Pages/default.aspx) - [Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary - Bluegrass Greensource](https://bggreensource.org/buckley/) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from Bluegrass Greensource, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://bggreensource.org/reflection-on-a-year-at-bluegrass-greensource/.