Every Day is Earth Day at Gunn

The “Who Lives in Your Neighborhood” project was inspired by best-selling author Robin Wall Kimmerer, who visited Gunn in 2022. Kimmerer notes in her classic environmental text, Braiding Sweetgrass, that we feel more at home in a community when we can greet our neighbors by name, DePreter said. In doing so, we treat others with respect and engender among that local society a sense of mutual care.

"It’s the same with plants," DePreter said. "The more we know about them, the more we’ll care for them and the ground itself."

Some 50 Highlanders participated in the neighborhood plants project, including students in DePreter’s Nature Writers class, members of Green Club, led by Kent Burnham P’29, and students in AP Environmental Science, led by Cole Paradies. 

“Plant identification is something I like to do every year in my class,” Paradies said. “This allowed me to start it a little earlier, while also collaborating with other classes. This campus is a perfect place to do an activity like this, as the amount of plants/trees are nearly endless.”

Among the discoveries shared with the community at School Meeting on Earth Day, April 24, were:

• the Eastern Red Cedar tree (Juniperus virginiana) known to current students and alumni as the Gunn Pine on the Quad
• Boissier’s Glory-of-the-Snow (Scilla luciliae), an early spring flowering bulb found beneath the maple tree on the northwest side of Brinsmade
• Lichen, found on the rocks outside of Kempton
• a young Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus), identified next to The Lizzie & Jonathan Tisch Center for Innovation & Active Citizenship

“Any time we can do something that actively engages us in conservation and sustainability, it's important,” Burnham said. “The students enjoyed finding plants on campus, and learning more about them. They were outside looking for various plant life and learning more about the plants, the campus, and collaborating on the project. Nick DePreter and I hope to have a more active Green Club, and create more events and awareness for students, faculty, and our school community.”

One challenge to conducting the survey in early April, in preparation for Earth Day, was that there were fewer leaves on the trees to use as clues, but DePreter said students had fun and enjoyed spending class time outside, just as they did in Mr. Gunn’s time.

“This is truly being rooted and feeling a sense of place,” he added, referring to one of Gunn’s four pillars, which are essential components of The Frederick Gunn School experience. All four pillars — Risk-Taking and Innovation, Learning Yourself and How to Learn, Public Character and Active Citizenship, and A Sense of Rootedness and Place — collectively shape the holistic education at The Frederick Gunn School, preparing students to face the challenges of the modern world with confidence, compassion, and a commitment to making a difference.

Contest Brings Nature into Focus
Also in celebration of Earth Day, Highlanders participated in a student-led photo contest, hosted by Alan Zhang ’28, who is enrolled in the Honors in Outdoor Leadership program. The winning nature photographs were taken by Rachel Lin ’27, Heehu Kim ’27, and Jason Yan ’28. 

“I have loved photography since I was a child,” Zhang said. “Before coming to The Frederick Gunn School, I enjoyed capturing anything interesting, focusing mostly on natural scenery. I often went hiking or visited parks with my parents, taking countless photos along the way. At Gunn, I’ve brought my camera on many outdoor adventures, including the first-year camping trip, school walks, and canoe trips. To me, photography is a way to document my explorations of the natural world.” 

Asked why he decided to host the photo contest, Zhang said: “I want to encourage more students to participate in outdoor projects and truly experience nature. With Earth Day approaching, I wanted to create an activity accessible to everyone, regardless of skill level. I noticed that many people instinctively take photos when they see something beautiful, which inspired me to organize this photography competition. It allows our community to share their favorite nature photos and appreciate the beauty of our planet together.”

Exploring Nature Beyond Gunn
Over Spring Long Weekend, four students embarked on a two-night backpacking trip on a portion of the Appalachian Trail in Massachusetts. The trip was led by Gunn Outdoors and organized by Polly Ross ’26 as part of their Civic Changemakers Project. Ross is expected to graduate next month with the Honors in Outdoor Leadership distinction. As April came to a close, Gunn Outdoors partnered with the Dean of Students Office to facilitate a retreat for current Prefects and the 2026-27 Prefect-elects that included teambuilding exercises on the low ropes course at South Street Fields, canoeing on Lake Waramaug, and rock climbing at St. John's Ledges.

Photo by Alan Zhang ’28