Dallas ISD Environmental Education Center serves 20,000 students during school year

Dallas ISD’s Environmental Education Center hosts around 20,000 students during the school year, giving classes access to animals, trails and outdoor learning under director Mark Broughton.

Broughton, who grew up in northern Minnesota, began his district career as a first-grade teacher at Maple Lawn Elementary School. He later worked as a science coach and organized student field trips to the center before becoming its director after the previous director retired in 2016.

The center’s animals are part of daily life on the grounds. The announcement highlighted Mr. Gobbles, a white turkey that followed classes and posed for photos before his death. Current animals include cows, a donkey, goats, chickens, ducks and classroom animals such as snakes, turtles, rabbits and chinchillas.

“We have a small staff and a lot of animals, so animal care is a challenge,” Broughton said. “Someone has to be here every day.”

That work continued during the 2021 winter storm, when Broughton said he boiled water in a classroom and poured it on frozen troughs so goats and cows could drink.

The center has expanded its goat corral, added a nature play area for younger children and planted an orchard with fruit trees including pears, peaches, pomegranates and mulberries.

Broughton said some students are not used to being outdoors when they arrive. “Once they see how pretty the forest is during a hike, or how fun it is to feed the goats, they hopefully learn to appreciate nature,” he said.

The center’s trails are accessible for wheelchairs, and staff design programs for special education classes and autistic students.