Purpose: This research of the case school focuses on environmental issues and how to improve students’ learning achievements. The goals of this research are to analyze process and the effectiveness of school-based curriculum. Design/methodology/approach: We interviewed the principal, directors, teachers, community volunteers, and students involved in the promotion of the school, collected the relative data of the program’s implementation, observed the educational field, analyzed the effectiveness of the curriculum and made the conclusions. Findings: The conclusions are as follows: 1. In this case study, the development process of school-based curriculum includes: (1) budding-root-preparatory phase, (2) running-communication-touching phase, (3) cohesive-strategies-developing phase, and (4) deep-plowing-harvest-sophisticated phase. 2. In the development process, the key factors and behaviors will be the driving force to its development. 3. This curriculum program will benefit parents, teachers, students, and local environmental development. Finally, the suggestions are offered to this case study. Originality/value The case school is located in a remote area and its campus environment is abundant in ecology. Although students’ learning achievements were not high in the past, teachers have focused on the linkage between environmental education and fields learning in recent years. In 2016, this program also won the golden award of teaching excellence by overcoming the plight of the school’s remote location, the weakness of family, and the weakness of students’ achievement. Ever since 2003, teachers have spontaneously organized the learning community and included the “environmental education” in the school-based curriculum. In the second semester of 2014, this school was selected as Pingtung's charter school due to its biological diversity curriculum. Through the curriculum development committee meeting in 2015, teachers arranged and planned the courses hierarchically. This program focused on connecting with the real situation, strengthening students' participation and active learning. Implications for policy/practice: With the implementing of the remote school’s development act in the end of 2017, people pay more attention to remote schools’ education. After we come to further understand the context of this curriculum, it can serve as a reference for schools.