Replant Uprooted Mayapple School
Donation protected
The day the flags went up marking the path of the high-pressure gas line slated to run through our children's forest also marked the day our preschool began to say goodbye to our current home. Now, you can help us as we plan our move to our future home, so our preschool children can once again jump in the leaves, make friends, and explore in nature safely outside the Mountain Valley Pipeline's "blast zone."
Nestled in a valley of the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia along the banks of Greenbrier Creek, The Mayapple School has been providing nature-based education to young children since 2015. Each day brings with it learning opportunities built upon child interest and first-hand experiences, from making signs for our classroom "donut shop" to using teamwork to find and carry the perfect sticks for a forest fort. You can find out more about our school on our website at: www.mayapple.org
Clockwise from top left: making a first journey across the "pirate ship" log; tasting the rain; writing about forest experiences; floating boats in Greenbrier Creek
The wild places in our forest and creek have nurtured the growth of our students and teachers individually and as a community. All the special little spaces that we've stumbled upon (and revisited, and named, and loved) in our explorations -- the Honeysuckle Tree, Mossy Explorer's Trail, Deer Turtle Mountain, and so many more-- have helped to shape us. As a teacher at The Mayapple School, I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to guide students in developing a sense of place in this particular corner of the Earth, where I cannot help but feel wonder and delight in life and in our opportunities to grow.
The Mayapple is a woodland plant indigenous to the Southern Appalachians. The Mayapple's unique umbrella shape, combined with our school being named for the plant, creates high interest in tracking its growth throughout the spring season. We believe this type of attention to and affinity with nature is essential for young children to experience. Above, from left: The first Mayapple of the season; explaining how the Mayapple leaves have unfurled and how they are grouped together; measuring growth
Yet, the high-pressure, large-diameter pipeline currently under construction through over 300 miles of Virginia and West Virginia, including within yards of our school, means that our opportunities to grow along the banks of the Greenbrier are coming to a close. Our location is approximately 500 feet from the pipeline. Chances of a pipeline explosion are rare, but just last year 10 campers in New Mexico were killed when camping 200 yards from a pipeline when it exploded. Although defenders of the pipeline argue that it is considered safe, since 1986, pipeline accidents have killed more than 500 people, injured over 4,000 people, and cost nearly seven billion dollars in property damages. In our current location, within the blast zone of a large diameter pipeline, an explosion would mean little chance of survival, and we simply can not put our Mayapple children at risk.
It's not possible for any of us, students or teachers, to remember each tree that we've seen cut down to make way for the pipeline in "our" forest. We've mourned them all, though-- through song and dance, pretend play taking a turn at being both bad guys and the good guys (the bad guys often ended up in jail), spontaneous sign and art making, and the literal hugging of trees. We can't remember every playful moment we've had in the forest either, nor every salamander, box turtle, pile of scat, or set of animal tracks we've found. But, whether we've been conscious of them or not, I do think that these moments have created a foundation for us-- of love, challenge, and community-- and I believe that we can take that with us wherever we go.
The Mountain Valley Pipeline will run across Blue Grass Trail in historic Newport, Virginia, where our school is currently located. One morning last spring, as families were driving the road to school, they were greeted with a dramatic transformation -- in two days workers had cleared a wide swath of trees, leaving a brown, denuded scar stretching up steep hillsides on either side of the road. Many students were confused, angry, sad, indignant-- one student spent his morning filling the chalkboard with this mural, above. On the left you see our school with a sign with a slash on it; he explained this was a "no pipeline" sign. In the middle is the road with avenues of felled trees lying on either side. On the right, the artist proudly signs his name and shows what will be like when the tree cutters stop and listen to our signs (one of the little people in the circle is a self portrait). Unfortunately, this was not the end of the tree clearing, and during one heartbreaking story time outside, our read-aloud was punctuated by loud booms-- each fallen tree would reveal to us another neon-clad pipeline worker going about his work. They explained nothing, of course, to the children, leaving teachers with the heavy task of answering "why."
You are invited to share in the love, challenge, and community with us as we open our new doors in January by contributing to the "nuts and bolts" of our move and transformation of a Blacksburg church basement and yard through your generous and thoughtful donations. With your donations, we will be able to once again create an interactive classroom and an enriching outdoor learning environment, as well as pay the rent at a more expensive location. We will be able to rent a truck that our Mayapple parents and friends will aid us in packing and unloading. Our new classroom will become inviting with new paint on the walls and rugs to cover the concrete floor. We will build cubbies for our students’ outdoor gear, locking teacher storage, a table, and shelving. Sadly, saying goodbye to our current home means leaving an expansive forest and a creek for exploration. In order to create an outdoor space that allows students to embrace nature and learning and exercise, we will install a stand for water play, a hand pump, a barrel, and a slide. We will plant blueberry bushes and build another vegetable garden. With enough funds, we will also create a melody pole, a magnetic movable water wall, and a cedar tepee. Your donations will make this vision a reality and ensure our children can continue to thrive at our school.
A couple of days after painting our new classroom, I headed back to take a picture of the room, and was greeted with this right outside the entrance- what a gift.
Our future classroom
This fundraiser has been started by Melissa West, Abigail Middleton, Ashley Dayer, and Jenna Booth with help from Jim Secrist, Jessica Morris, Leigh Stoudenmire, and Melissa Powell. These individuals comprise the Board of Directors of The Mayapple School. The Mayapple School is a non-stock corporation that has applied for 501(c)3 non profit status and is currently awaiting determination from the IRS. Because determination has yet to be made, at this time donors should assume that their donations will not be tax deductible. All monies donated through The Go Fund Me website will be deposited directly into The Mayapple School's business checking account and will not be held by any individual.
Thank you for the honor you give to our children through your donation to The Mayapple School.
Sincerely,
Melissa West
Founder of The Mayapple School
Nestled in a valley of the Appalachian Mountains of Southwest Virginia along the banks of Greenbrier Creek, The Mayapple School has been providing nature-based education to young children since 2015. Each day brings with it learning opportunities built upon child interest and first-hand experiences, from making signs for our classroom "donut shop" to using teamwork to find and carry the perfect sticks for a forest fort. You can find out more about our school on our website at: www.mayapple.org
Clockwise from top left: making a first journey across the "pirate ship" log; tasting the rain; writing about forest experiences; floating boats in Greenbrier Creek The wild places in our forest and creek have nurtured the growth of our students and teachers individually and as a community. All the special little spaces that we've stumbled upon (and revisited, and named, and loved) in our explorations -- the Honeysuckle Tree, Mossy Explorer's Trail, Deer Turtle Mountain, and so many more-- have helped to shape us. As a teacher at The Mayapple School, I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to guide students in developing a sense of place in this particular corner of the Earth, where I cannot help but feel wonder and delight in life and in our opportunities to grow.
The Mayapple is a woodland plant indigenous to the Southern Appalachians. The Mayapple's unique umbrella shape, combined with our school being named for the plant, creates high interest in tracking its growth throughout the spring season. We believe this type of attention to and affinity with nature is essential for young children to experience. Above, from left: The first Mayapple of the season; explaining how the Mayapple leaves have unfurled and how they are grouped together; measuring growth Yet, the high-pressure, large-diameter pipeline currently under construction through over 300 miles of Virginia and West Virginia, including within yards of our school, means that our opportunities to grow along the banks of the Greenbrier are coming to a close. Our location is approximately 500 feet from the pipeline. Chances of a pipeline explosion are rare, but just last year 10 campers in New Mexico were killed when camping 200 yards from a pipeline when it exploded. Although defenders of the pipeline argue that it is considered safe, since 1986, pipeline accidents have killed more than 500 people, injured over 4,000 people, and cost nearly seven billion dollars in property damages. In our current location, within the blast zone of a large diameter pipeline, an explosion would mean little chance of survival, and we simply can not put our Mayapple children at risk.
It's not possible for any of us, students or teachers, to remember each tree that we've seen cut down to make way for the pipeline in "our" forest. We've mourned them all, though-- through song and dance, pretend play taking a turn at being both bad guys and the good guys (the bad guys often ended up in jail), spontaneous sign and art making, and the literal hugging of trees. We can't remember every playful moment we've had in the forest either, nor every salamander, box turtle, pile of scat, or set of animal tracks we've found. But, whether we've been conscious of them or not, I do think that these moments have created a foundation for us-- of love, challenge, and community-- and I believe that we can take that with us wherever we go.
The Mountain Valley Pipeline will run across Blue Grass Trail in historic Newport, Virginia, where our school is currently located. One morning last spring, as families were driving the road to school, they were greeted with a dramatic transformation -- in two days workers had cleared a wide swath of trees, leaving a brown, denuded scar stretching up steep hillsides on either side of the road. Many students were confused, angry, sad, indignant-- one student spent his morning filling the chalkboard with this mural, above. On the left you see our school with a sign with a slash on it; he explained this was a "no pipeline" sign. In the middle is the road with avenues of felled trees lying on either side. On the right, the artist proudly signs his name and shows what will be like when the tree cutters stop and listen to our signs (one of the little people in the circle is a self portrait). Unfortunately, this was not the end of the tree clearing, and during one heartbreaking story time outside, our read-aloud was punctuated by loud booms-- each fallen tree would reveal to us another neon-clad pipeline worker going about his work. They explained nothing, of course, to the children, leaving teachers with the heavy task of answering "why." You are invited to share in the love, challenge, and community with us as we open our new doors in January by contributing to the "nuts and bolts" of our move and transformation of a Blacksburg church basement and yard through your generous and thoughtful donations. With your donations, we will be able to once again create an interactive classroom and an enriching outdoor learning environment, as well as pay the rent at a more expensive location. We will be able to rent a truck that our Mayapple parents and friends will aid us in packing and unloading. Our new classroom will become inviting with new paint on the walls and rugs to cover the concrete floor. We will build cubbies for our students’ outdoor gear, locking teacher storage, a table, and shelving. Sadly, saying goodbye to our current home means leaving an expansive forest and a creek for exploration. In order to create an outdoor space that allows students to embrace nature and learning and exercise, we will install a stand for water play, a hand pump, a barrel, and a slide. We will plant blueberry bushes and build another vegetable garden. With enough funds, we will also create a melody pole, a magnetic movable water wall, and a cedar tepee. Your donations will make this vision a reality and ensure our children can continue to thrive at our school.
A couple of days after painting our new classroom, I headed back to take a picture of the room, and was greeted with this right outside the entrance- what a gift. Our future classroomThis fundraiser has been started by Melissa West, Abigail Middleton, Ashley Dayer, and Jenna Booth with help from Jim Secrist, Jessica Morris, Leigh Stoudenmire, and Melissa Powell. These individuals comprise the Board of Directors of The Mayapple School. The Mayapple School is a non-stock corporation that has applied for 501(c)3 non profit status and is currently awaiting determination from the IRS. Because determination has yet to be made, at this time donors should assume that their donations will not be tax deductible. All monies donated through The Go Fund Me website will be deposited directly into The Mayapple School's business checking account and will not be held by any individual.
Thank you for the honor you give to our children through your donation to The Mayapple School.
Sincerely,
Melissa West
Founder of The Mayapple School
Fundraising team: Mayapple Fundraisers (4)
Melissa Brooke West
Organizer
Blacksburg, VA
Jenna Booth
Team member
Abigail Middleton
Team member
Ashley Dayer
Team member