School of the Wild:

Using Watersheds as Living Classrooms

Jay Gorsh—  Director, School of the Wild

On Tuesday, February 17 at 7:00 PM CT, we hosted an engaging Watershed Talks Zoom presentation exploring how outdoor education helps build lifelong watershed stewards. The session highlighted how place-based, hands-on learning connects students to land, water, and community — turning local landscapes into living classrooms.

Our guest speaker, Jay Gorsh, is the Director of the University of Iowa’s School of the Wild, where he has spent the past decade helping schools take learning beyond classroom walls. A former public-school teacher and current instructor of outdoor education at the University of Iowa, Jay brings practical experience and a passion for the outdoors to his work.

During the presentation, Jay shared how School of the Wild partners with teachers and students to use parks, schoolyards, and watersheds as outdoor classrooms — building curiosity, confidence, and stewardship through real-world learning. He explained how the Iowa Division’s $20K donation directly benefited students. Jay also discussed what’s new for 2026, including expanded professional development for teachers and an international collaboration in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, focused on creative approaches to outdoor education.

Whether you are educators, conservationists, parents, or community members, this Zoom Watershed Talks session offers insight and inspiration on how outdoor learning strengthens both students and the watersheds we depend on.