GreenQuest Gallery
Take a look at our past sessions and discover our club's defining moments!
Fungi 2024
Students learned about fungi and all their different roles in the ecosystem during this meeting. They developed a newfound appreciation for these incredible organisms and left with their very own clay mushrooms!
Frogs and Turtles 2024
During the June meeting at Laurelwood Arboretum, GreenQuest dove into the world of fascinating frogs and turtles. Students learned with a splash of fun at Laurel Pond and created their own frog crafts!
Flowers 2024
Students learned the importance of flowers during the May meeting at the Arboretum. Well known for its stunning spring blooms and prize-winning Azaleas, Laurelwood Arboretum was the perfect place to have a flower walk!
Earth Day 2024 at Laurelwood Arboretum
GreenQuest participated in the "Planet vs. Plastics" Earth Day event at the Laurelwood Arboretum, where we connected with various community groups, Council President Jason DeStefano, and Mayor Chris Vergano!
Rocks and Fossils
Polishing their geology and paleontology skills, students learned about different types of rocks and fossils. They got to examine specimens that were over 350 million years old, and even got to take home their own geodes!
Music in Nature 2024
Students took a listen as to how music plays an important role in the lives of animals and how nature, in turn, has inspired music created by humans. Students made their own percussion instruments out of recycled materials as well!
Animals in the Winter 2024
Bringing back a beloved program, GreenQuest presented a lesson on how animals adapted to the winter cold in different ways!
Underground Animals 2024
Students learned about underground animals in conjunction with Groundhog Day. After delving into the subterranean world of moles, worms, and prairie dogs, participants got to build their own 3D rabbit burrows!
Polar Animals 2023
In December, Faryah taught the students about Santa's furry friends in the North Pole. She did a great job showing them the unique traits and adaptations of polar mammals!
Native Americans and Nature 2023
In honor of Native American Heritage Month, students learned about the ways Native Americans interacted with their environment, and analyzed their sustainable lifestyles!
Bulb Planting 2023
Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, GreenQuest attendees planted daffodil bulbs in front of the Knippenberg Center. When GreenQuest returns to the Arboretum in the spring, students will be able to find the daffodils they planted in full bloom!
Bats and Spiders 2023
In conjunction with Spooky Season, GreenQuest themed the October 2023 lesson on spiders and bats, misunderstood animals that are not as scary as they seem!
Nature's Engineers 2023
For the month of September, GreenQuest departed from its normal ecology programs and took a more STEM-oriented approach as students learned about animal-built structures. Afterward, they simulated the construction of a beaver dam using natural materials!
Pollinators 2023
GreenQuest took a visit to the Laurelwood Sensory Garden in August to hunt for pollinators like bees and butterflies after learning about why they are so important for our planet!
Fireflies 2023
Our July fireflies session turned out to be a blast not only for our students but for parents and grandparents as well! After learning about these amazing beetles, participants stayed until sundown, catching fireflies at the Wetland Garden.
Wetlands 2023
School may have just got out for summer, but students were still active in investigating the aquatic habitats at Laurelwood Arboretum, namely Laurelwood Pond!
Birds 2023
May at the Arboretum cemented birding as a staple of the GreenQuest lineup of activities. This year, students were able to get out and look for the backyard birds they learned about!
Trees 2023
A highly anticipated moment, GreenQuest officially debuted at the Laurelwood Arboretum in April of 2023!!! In conjunction with Arbor Day, the first lesson in the Arboretum Series focused on trees, with Laurelwood's tree whisperer John Crowell giving students an in-depth tour of the trees at the Arboretum.
Earth Day 2023 at Laurelwood Arboretum
To celebrate Earth Day and invite Wayne residents to their next meeting, Aadhithya and Ivan visited the Laurelwood Arboretum Earth Day Festival and hosted a backyard birds trivia game. They also ran into Mayor Chris Vergano at the celebration!
Architecture in Nature 2023
GreenQuest examined the wonders of animal architecture at the start of 2023. They even got to build their own bird nests out of coconut fiber!
Animals in the Winter 2022
As students began bundling up for the winter, they were encouraged to think about how animals adapted themselves to frigid temperatures in the wild! Students also made a hibernating bear craft to supplement their learning.
Coral Reefs 2022
GreenQuest students dove into the world of coral reefs in the summer of 2022! Kids enjoyed learning about these biodiversity hotspots and building mini dioramas of coral reefs.
Birds 2022
When second-grade Aadhith got a hold of his father's camera and took pictures of the birds he saw in his backyard, he crafted a PowerPoint to show his elementary school principal. Years later, that very PowerPoint evolved into one of GreenQuest's most popular programs! Students learned about native NJ birds and constructed their own flapping bird contraptions.
Snowflakes 2022
After several months of planning, Eagle Scout Aadhithyaram Balaji kicked off the GreenQuest Nature Club at the Wayne Public Library in January of 2022! The first lesson was on the intricacies of snowflakes, and participants decorated their own pipe cleaner snowflakes. Coincidentally enough, each participant's snowflake was unique in design, just like snowflakes in real life!