Growing Joy at the Outdoor Wonder and Learning Center

When Austin ISD closed several campuses in 2021, many across the community had deep feelings about losing these spaces and were left wondering what they might become. For Colleen Garland, an Outdoor Learning Specialist with Austin ISD, the Bright Green Future Grants Program provided the perfect springboard for a vision that could reconnect kids, community, and nature all in one vibrant space.

“I really appreciate the mission of Bright Green Future Grants to create a network of sustainability projects throughout the city,” Colleen said. “I knew our project for the Austin ISD Outdoor Wonder and Learning Center (OWL) would align well because it is a space that connects students, community, and nearby nature. Plus, they make it so easy on the applicants!”

Colleen Garland stands in the OWL Center garden with Outdoor Learning Specialist Joanna Orozco. 

Colleen’s passion for outdoor learning is taking root at the new Outdoor Wonder and Learning (OWL) Center, located at the former Metz Elementary School site. This district-wide space is designed to provide experiential learning opportunities for students of all ages. With support from a Bright Green Future Grant, Colleen and her team are transforming a patch of standard Bermuda grass, an invasive species to our area, into something much more meaningful — a dynamic pollination station that will support local wildlife and spark curiosity in young minds.

Colleen shows us the native plants that were funded through BGFG to attract pollinators.

“We will convert a boring mono-crop lawn into a lively pollination station to provide respite and habitat for bees, butterflies, birds, and bats flying by,” Colleen explained. “Visitors can slow down to engage with life in the garden.”

The pollinator garden will include native plants that serve as host species and nectar sources, alongside thoughtful touches like pollinator-safe water trays made of colorful recycled glass and a solar-powered birdbath. The plan will reflect the belief that outdoor spaces should support both biodiversity and joyful learning.

Colleen kneels in the OWL garden to point out designated spots for frogs and toads that are in the shade, have drinking water, and are pesticide-free.

Joy is something that the community would love to see brought back to the school. “As we began work on the OWL Center, I visited nearby neighbors to talk with them about the transformation that would be happening on campus,” shared Colleen. During these visits, an older neighbor in one of the homes directly across from the old Metz’s playground reflected on what it has felt like since the school had closed. “He told me it was like going outside and no longer hearing birds chirping. He just wanted us to bring the kids back.”

The OWL Center is meant to open this fall, and students have already begun using the grounds for field trips. For Colleen, this is just one piece of a larger vision. “All children and grown-ups deserve to experience the wonder of the natural world, even in the city!”

With support from the Bright Green Future Grants program, that vision is blooming across Austin — one garden, one neighbor, and one child at a time.

Colleen hugs a tree in the OWL Center’s garden, and Joanna poses next to her.