Last spring, professional photographer Matthew Mitchell came to West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science to capture the day-to-day activities of the staff and students. The shoot took place over a two-day period, however, Mr. Mitchell quickly learned that he could spend an entire week at the school and still find more photos to snap… WMAES is certainly a happening place!

Mr. Mitchell went from class to class, taking pictures to capture the essence of what makes WMAES such a great school. In addition, he spent hours with the teachers and students studying the wide variety of ecosystems on the 62-acre campus of farmland, nature trails, forests, wetlands, prairies, and working gardens. He caught students in action as they took water samples from the pond, planted sunflower seeds in the garden, and picked strawberries from the greenhouse.
The photos from the shoot tell quite the story… one that directly reflects WMAES’ love for the environment and passion for sharing it with their students hands-on.
Below are just a few of our favorites from the shoot. To view the entire gallery, click here.