Photo courtesy of Raymond Baltar
On September 18, 2026, the Stoneman Elementary School community came together to celebrate a new chapter for its campus––the completion of a Green Schoolyard designed to give students more opportunities to learn, play, and connect with nature.
Scholars, teachers, school staff, and community partners gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the transformation. Stoneman scholars and Pittsburg Unified School District staff shared remarks about the project, and a group of students had the honor of cutting the ribbon and officially opening the new spaces.
Made possible through CAL FIRE funding, the project has transformed the schoolyard with new places for students to learn and spend time outdoors, including:
Three outdoor classroom areas for learning beyond the walls of the traditional classroom
42 new shade trees planted throughout the schoolyard
New seating in and around the main playground
Trees and natural areas incorporated into the TK and Kindergarten play space.
Together, these improvements are helping create a school environment where nature is part of students’ everyday experience.
Photo courtesy of Raymond Baltar
The ribbon cutting was more than a celebration of the completed landscape. It was also a day of hands-on learning for the Stoneman community.
CAL FIRE crews arrived with a fire engine, Captain Cal the mascot, and fire hats for the children. Students had the opportunity to see the equipment firefighters use to protect communities and respond to wildfires.
Photo courtesy of Raymond Baltar
Meanwhile, Sonoma Ecology Center educators brought environmental learning into the classroom. SEC educators led lessons for first-graders at Stoneman, introducing students to the natural world around them and helping build their understanding of the landscapes where they live. These lessons are part of the environmental education program included in the CAL FIRE grant and provided by Sonoma Ecology Center.
For SEC, the education component is an important part of what makes the Green Schoolyard project more than a physical transformation. New trees, natural areas, and outdoor classrooms create the setting while environmental education gives students the opportunity to explore, ask questions, and develop a deeper connection to their environment.
Photos courtesy of Raymond Baltar
Growing a culture of stewardship
Green schoolyards can provide benefits that extend well beyond a school day. Trees offer shade on hot days, natural areas create opportunities for exploration, and outdoor classrooms provide educators new ways to engage students in hands-on learning.
They can also help young people understand their communities as part of larger ecological systems–including the role that people play in caring for and preparing the landscapes around them.
As students gathered around the ribbon on September 18, the celebration marked the completion of the Green Schoolyard, but it also marked the beginning of many years of outdoor learning, exploration, and connection to place.
For Sonoma Ecology Center, being part of that next chapter is an opportunity to help students discover that environmental stewardship starts close to home––sometimes right outside their classroom door.