Six students from the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Monmouth County attended an environmental learning program and returned more savvy about connections between Judaism and protecting the planet.

Taking part in the program earlier this fall were seventh-graders Hannah Schwartz of Ocean, Gabrielle Buchbinder of Marlboro, and Kochava Krieger of Freehold and sixth-graders Stephanie Chazen of Manalapan, Jason Epstein of Leonardo, and Daniel Keinan of Marlboro. They took part in the program at the Teva Learning Center in Falls Village, Conn., which integrates outdoor environmental education with Jewish concepts and values.

And as a result of their Teva experience, the six students would like to see their school "go green," according to Chaya Friedmann, director of the Marlboro day school.

"Teva offers an amazing program that reinforces and enriches our own curriculum," Friedmann told NJ Jewish News. "They integrate a Judaic view of the environment with a general view of environmentalism."

In indoor and outdoor learning sessions, the students studied earth sciences, plant and animal life, and ecosystems. The Teva staff helped the participating students explore the connection between religion and nature, Friedmann said.

"Teva provides activities that are designed to sensitize students to nature's rhythms," she said. "They were able to talk with their peers from other schools and with the Teva staff about feeling closer to God through nature."

In addition, the students came back with practical measures that can be applied at school, home, and places of business, they told NJ Jewish News.

"I cared about the environment, but I didn't really do a lot about it," said Daniel. "Now, I recycle everything I can, and I try to preserve energy resources whenever and wherever I can."

The importance of recycling was not lost on Jason or Stephanie.

"I've always recycled things, kind of out of habit, but I never really knew how much not recycling hurt the environment," Jason said. "At Teva, we walked through the woods and gathered things like plants, pieces of wood, and acorns. We learned that these things could be hurt really badly if the environment isn't protected. They could even disappear."

While on a daytime hike at Teva, Stephanie said, she realized there was virtually no litter in the woods or on the grounds.

"But when I got home, I saw a lot of trash on the streets, in parking lots, and in lots of other places," she said. "Now I know how harmful that kind of thing is — it's a form of pollution, and I want to do something about it."

All six students remember nighttime walks during which they were urged to close their eyes and listen to the sounds of nature.

"You miss so much when you're preoccupied," said Gabrielle. "When you listen — really listen — you can hear the beautiful sounds of nature, and you know those things have to be protected and that everyone has to help make that happen."

As Hannah and Kochava hiked through the woods and climbed over the hills at Teva, they thought about ways to identify with nature and preserve the landscape.

"I found out that I could identify trees by name, and I felt more self-sufficient," said Hannah. "I knew I was learning important things about nature and about myself. I want to be a person who helps the environment, rather than a person who doesn't care."

"While I was hiking and climbing, I noticed that everything seemed so warm and green," said Kochava. "We need to preserve that kind of thing everywhere. There's no way I can forget what I learned and saw at Teva. I brought all those lessons home with me."