Farm to Heart: Our Visit to Tilden Little Farm & Nature Area
As we celebrate Earth Week, we are looking back at one of our most heartwarming adventures of the year: our January visit to Tilden Little Farm. Located within the sprawling Tilden Nature Area in the Berkeley hills, this trip was much more than just a day at the farm—it was our students’ first introduction to the animals and systems that sustain our world.
Bonding over our love of (wooden) animals.
Feathers, Fur, and First Encounters
For many of our toddlers, this was their very first time meeting a farm animal face-to-face. We practiced our "gentle pets" with soft rabbits, watched the busy chickens peck in the yard, and marveled at the playful goats.
Petting goats was totally on our bingo card today.
Don’t know which is cuter - the bunny or the kids…
Beyond the excitement of the animals, we spent time at the Environmental Education Center (EEC), learning about the Wildcat Creek Watershed. We explored the natural and cultural history of the area, discovering how the land has changed over time and how the East Bay Regional Park District works to protect it.
Agriculture as Stewardship
A key lesson of our trip was understanding environmentally responsible agriculture. By seeing how animals and crops are managed in a way that respects the Earth, children begin to grasp the concept of sustainability.
Chickens > screentime
A study featured in the Journal of Environmental Education suggests that "farm-to-school" experiences in early childhood significantly increase a child's willingness to care for the environment. When children understand where their resources come from and how a healthy watershed sustains life, they are more likely to grow into adults who treat the Earth so that it may "sustain life for eons to come."
Earth Week Connection: How You Can Help
Tilden Little Farm is a reminder that we are all part of a larger ecosystem. Here is how you can carry that spirit home this week:
Earth Week Action: Close the Loop Did you know that many items in our daily routine don't belong in the blue bin? We are working to change that:
The TerraCycle Challenge: This week, we are specifically hunting for "unrecyclables." Bring in your empty toothpaste tubes and snack pouches to our TerraCycle collection point.
Waste-Free Lunches: Try a "naked lunch" today—no plastic wrap or single-use baggies!
Compost at Home: Learn how we use organic waste to feed the soil at our Roosevelt Elementary Garden plot.