Even though nature and garden play integral roles in all aspects of human endeavor from religion and philosophy to the food we eat, our contemporary University campuses continue to conduct activities enclosed in classrooms, some of which are windowless and separated from the natural world.  In these contexts, discussions regarding the impact of human-nature relationships are purely abstract without any kind of experiential base. The Hokie Spirit Garden Trail is a counterpoint to this.

Rooted in the belief that daily exposure to the natural world is essential for maximizing the well being of body, mind, and social interaction, the Hokie Spirit Garden Trail--by design and through its connecting trails—establishes multiple themed outdoor learning venues that are integrated with the campus’ built environment. The garden venues will enrich and enlarge the learning and discoveries that occur in traditional classrooms and laboratories by providing opportunities for discipline-based inquiry within a variety of natural settings.  These inquiries may include investigating the positive impact of plants in educational, medical, or business settings, in subjects as diverse as reducing sick building syndrome, calming aggression of Alzheimer patients or increasing attention span of adolescent girls. At the same time students will see and experience the impact of humans on plants and animals, both positive and negative, through projects that require their responsibility for aspects of the gardens

Involvement with the Hokie Spirit Garden Trail may occur through classrooms conducted in the gardens, case study projects, service-learning, VT Engage volunteerism, internships, and field based research among currently identified opportunities.  In every instance, the Hokie Spirit Garden Trail will advance our collective understanding of the critical importance of nature in an increasingly urbanized world.

The approval and design of the trail was initiated in Fall 2007. Components of the trail have been in use for a number of years, some are in place but awaiting expansion, and others are in the concept stage. Implementation of the outdoor classroom concept and further involvement of faculty, students and community will begin in Fall 2008.  The integration of the campus gardens and trail in campus wide education will be documented for presentation on-line, at conferences, and in consultation with other campuses wishing to implement a similar concept.

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Department of Horticulture | Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention | Virginia Tech