A Hawk's Eye View: November 14, 2025

For families new to Harding: you may have heard your child refer to a mysterious place called “the NOP.” If you asked what it stands for, you may have been told, with great confidence, that it stands for absolutely nothing and that it is simply…the NOP.

Well, plot twist: it does stand for something.
It’s our Natural Outdoor Playspace—a beloved corner of campus where sticks become castles, mud becomes currency, and outdoor curriculum comes to life in the minds and imaginations of our students.

Back in 2018, Anne Zuberer kicked off a tradition that has since become one of our favorite annual sustainability rituals: giving Christmas trees a second life in the NOP.

After your tree has had its glamorous moment in the living room, it is warmly invited to retire to a quieter life of service. Families can drop off their live trees at the NOP after the holidays, where they will be used for outdoor curriculum, including:

• Bird watching and feeding stations
• Creating “bird blinds” for quiet observation
• Extremely serious fort construction and imaginative play

Once the trees dry out, our teachers and volunteers gather for a highly scientific process lovingly known as “tree shaving,” trimming and repurposing branches for new uses throughout the space.

If you are a family that loads up your tree and drives it to a drop-off, then please consider helping the NOP create this Winter Garden of trees. We would like at least 40 trees but can accommodate a few more.

Please bring your holiday tree to the NOP and donate any time through January 30th. To protect the wildlife, we cannot accept flocked trees or decorated trees.