Outdoor school students tackle invasive crisis with hands-on effort: 'We think they are the coolest'

These students are already making a huge difference.

Students in a conservation club at Red Oaks Forest School in Kentucky celebrated after removing invasive plants from a local habitat.

For their spring project, the students were tasked with rewilding, "a process of returning a habitat back to its more natural state by removing invasive species," Red Oaks Forest School wrote on Facebook.

Red Oaks Forest School is described as "a place where exploration meets education" and children of all ages can learn and play in the great outdoors. The school is featured in the upcoming documentary "In Our Nature," which will be released in 2025. 

Removing invasive species is an easy way to learn about ecology while restoring a local habitat. 

Invasive species are plants or animals that are introduced into a new, non-native environment and spread or repopulate quickly, harming the habitat. 

Invasive species are a headache to manage, and homeowners and governments spend a ton of time and money trying to get rid of them. Conservationists are constantly devising innovative ways to combat them, such as tree zappers for spotted lanternflies and robot dogs to find imported red fire ants. 

When invasive species are removed, native species can thrive, eventually restoring a disrupted ecosystem.  

You don't need to venture out into the forest or build an ant-sniffing robot dog to make a difference — you can start in your own backyard. By rewilding your yard, you'll support essential pollinators that protect our food supply, provide shelter for local wildlife, stop the spread of harmful invasive species, and save a ton of money.

Native plants require less water and maintenance, lowering water bills and helping homeowners save time. Clover, buffalo grass, and xeriscaping are all money-saving, low-maintenance options.

Should we be actively working to kill invasive species? Absolutely It depends on the species I don't know No — leave nature alone Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

There's a bright future for the kids at Red Oaks Forest School. "These kids are working hard to remove invasive species from their forest school and we think they are the coolest," Red Oaks wrote on Facebook.

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