Outdoor Learning Lab

Help germinate the seeds of our first Outdoor Learning Lab.

This outdoor classroom will immerse Ivy Tech Bloomington biology students in the world of living organisms while growing a knowledge of plant diversity, structure and ecological principles. Picture a native pollinator garden, beehives, a garden shed, trails and a picnic pavilion—all located in the wooded lot adjacent to our Indiana Center for the Life Sciences! This back-yard proximity will allow students regular visits to connect with biological concepts, live and up-close.

The garden's planning and implementation is a Bloomington Village effort, connecting Ivy Tech students with community partners like Master Gardeners, Hoosier Hills Career Center, Boy Scouts and the Bee Town Beekeeping Club.

A $3,000 Circle of Ivy grant is helping purchase much of the plant material for the garden. However, with an overall budget of $50,000, we have more rows to sow.

How your support can grow a garden:

• $250 - 8L of river gravel to line our garden paths
• $400 - Rain barrels to capture mother nature’s liquid bounty
• $1,000 - Garden tools needed to plant and manage the species
• $1,000 - Fencing to separate the garden from beehives and the adjacent pond
• $2,000 - Native plants, bulbs and seeds
• $4,000 - Pavers to create our patio
• $5,000 - Lumber, concrete pad and installation of our garden shed