Send 30 Children to Afterschool Nature Program

We have a great group of students at Githens Middle School this semester. Many of them  have a good foundational knowledge of the animals and plants in their area allowing us to teach more complicated subjects like ecology.  These students have a love and passion for nature. It's very evident by their comfort in the woods and excitement when we leave the trails for uncharted territory and have hands on experiences. 

Each time we meet, we head straight to the woods surrounding the school to explore and investigate whatever we happen upon and why those things are in the area. This is a wonderful opportunity for the students to employ their observation, investigation, inquiry  and identification skills. During one of our walks, I was amazed to hear Christiana say, " look, I found a box turtle!"  Me and the rest of the group had walked right past it.  We checked it out up close and personal before putting it back, talking about what it is doing this time of year to prepare for tupor (sleeping under ground) for the winter.  

During another outing, we came across a black rat snake which was a real learning experience for several of the students since they had never seen one in the wild before.    Christiana and Adair were both apprehensive about touching it, but both overcame their fears and did!  We went off trail in the swampy area and found it swarming with Chorus, Leopard, and Treefrogs.  Another big surprise was a tree that had some intriguing markings on it. We let the students guess and they eventually decided that they were chew marks made by a beaver.  Adair asked in amazement, "We have beaver living this close to the school in these woods?".  We have found signs of deer and turkey as well as some cool plants like ginger, native orchids, and learned about several of the area’s trees.

We are eager to go out again exploring.  Thanks to your support we can continue to connect students to nature in these unique ways.

Don't forget Giving Tuesday on Tuesday, December 2!  Every donation you make to one of our children's programs on GlobalGiving will be matched 100% by Microsoft beginning at 9:00 AM. Matching funds will go quickly so donate between 9:00 and 9:30 AM for the best chance of being matched.