Phase one of a trail that will function as a cross-country track, walking path and outdoor science classroom at Bowling Green Junior High School is near completion.

The long loop that goes through several nature habitats is almost complete. The last of its gravel foundation is in the process of being put down, said school science teacher Dwight Holder.

The school’s Parent Teacher Organization is also in the process of seeking additional funding for signs, seating along the path and native plants and flowers for the trail. Ouida Meier, the school’s PTO president, said it has allocated $200 for native grass and wildflower seeds.

Meier said they are working with the Hoffman Institute and the Center for Biodiversity Studies at Western Kentucky University to come up with signs identifying plants.

Members of the PTO are mobilizing community resources for the additional things needed for the trail, she said.

“People really want to help schools,” she said. “It’s about taking the time to make those connections, figuring out what’s needed and the community resources to meet those needs.”

The trail is directly behind the junior high, and is roughly 9 feet wide and 2,600 feet long. A $3,000 Central Kentucky PRIDE grant, a $1,200 Education for Sustainability grant and many parents and businesses provided the funding for the project.

TPM Environmental Inc. and Red Barn Farms Agra Service completed ground work and drainage for nature centers along the trail.

And the students and teachers are helping.

“Students are working hard on the trail to get it done,” Holder said.

The idea of constructing an outside classroom has wafted through the junior high’s hallways since the school was built, Holder said, which Meier said the PTO appreciated was a teacher-led project. He said it’s something teachers there have wanted to do for a long time.

Holder said with the help of principal Penny Masden and others, he applied for the grants that garnered the funding for the project.

“It’s one of those things where we had teachers collaborating to get this established for the kids,” he said.

The trail has a dual purpose, Meier said, which was one of the reasons the track was designed the way it was.

“We’re excited it is going to have multiple uses,” she said.

Teachers at the junior high have already started planning usage for next school year, Holder said. He said the trail works well across the content areas in the school.

“Students can have access to outdoor experiences with nature,” Holder said. “We have a lot going on in the back of this school that ties in with science and ties in with math and art and language arts.”

While others can use the trail, it’s mainly designed as an outdoor science class room, Holder said.

“The kids enjoy being outside and being out there where they can be themselves and learn at their own (pace),” he said.

Holder said they hope to add some bird houses along the trail in an effort to bring more wildlife to the area for students to experience.

But the project is far from complete, Meier said. She said there’s a lot is going to be left to do for a long time. She said an outdoor classroom is never finished.

“I think having the path there alone is a really big start in a long process that will need cooperation and parent, students and community support for years to come,” Meier said.