BRENTWOOD–  The City of Brentwood’s Engineering Department hosted an environmental education day at the Deerwood Arboretum on October 5, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for Junior and Senior environmental science students at Brentwood and Ravenwood High Schools.  Students enjoyed the hands on learning about clean water in our creeks and rivers; habitat and ecology of streams and natural areas; the importance of these ecosystems to the animals that live and thrive in them; and the impact humans and development have on our natural ecosystem. 

The City of Brentwood, working closely with leaders at both Brentwood and Ravenwood High Schools has helped this innovative approach to hands on instruction grow over the past nine years.  Brentwood’s Engineering Director, Mike Harris, said “the growing number of volunteers in the environmental industry who have generously given of their time, and the ongoing effort to provide a fun and enjoyable atmosphere for the students is what really makes this day extra special.”

 Brentwood High School Assistant Principal, Stephanie Simmons said, “Our students are excited.  It’s hands on and anytime you can have that emerging students are motivated and inspired and who knows? The next scientist could emerge as a result of this experience.”  You could see the excitement on Brentwood High School student, Oliver McCammon’s face as he learned about how to effectively treat polluted water.  “This is much more exciting.  We have talked about similar methods in our classroom, but seeing it actually done and doing it out here, it comes across in a much clearer way than in a classroom,” McCammon said.

Allyson Smith, a senior at Brentwood High said, “Environmental Education day opened my eyes to see the variety of ways in which I can impact the environment.  It applied what we learned in class to the outside world and made AP environmental science more real!”   

This event is sponsored and coordinated by the City of Brentwood Engineering Department in cooperation with the City of Brentwood Parks Department, Williamson County Storm Water Department, the Discovery Center of Murfreesboro, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, the Brentwood Chick-fil-A, Hethcoat & Davis Engineering, Heibert+Ball Land Design, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Aquatic Resources Center, Ramboll Environ, CH2M Hill, and Brentwood and Ravenwood High Schools.  This year’s event had close to 350 students participate.