By Jill Fusco | Educator
Throughout this session of Earth Keepers we have forged relationships with sweet, curious and sometimes fidgety children of our area schools. Our experiences with these students are filled with laughter, exploration and shared passion for the outdoors. We thank you on behalf of every child who has ventured outside this spring because of your donations. With the change of seasons we know it is time to give them up to summer break, and hope to see them at one of the many camps we offer.
One of the last sessions, we examined the life of deer. We asked children what deer do every day and what signs these animals would leave on the landscape. When asked this question, hands shot in the air with thoughtful answers “footprints!” “Feathers!” “Poop!!” Giggles waved across the audience of elementary school aged children. After the roar of laughter died down we confirmed all of the answers. And explained that poop, or scat, is a great animal sign and it can tell us a lot about what the animal is, what it eats, and how long ago it was there, among other useful information. After this short discussion about our intention for the afternoon we took to the woods.
It was wonderful to see the different interpretations each child had of the intention. Some pointed out every hole in the ground, fascinated by what could be inside. Others inched along the dirt path determined to see a track. Alex was among the most interested, but mainly on the flowers he was finding on the ground. I am so grateful to be part of a program that encourages children to be led by their own curiosity. We talked for a few minutes about where the flower came from and how to identify it. Thank you all for helping us encourage this type of learning.
This session was a huge hit! We received thank you cards from some students that we want to share with you. Although you cannot see all of the eager faces each time Earth Keepers begins, we hope that these cards expressing unprompted gratitude will warm your heart, as they did ours. Thank you again for your support of our mission! We will check back in when the new school year begins.
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