What We Give Our Children

Richard Louv said "We have such a brief opportunity to pass on to our children our love for this Earth, and to tell our stories. These are the moments when the world is made whole".

The beauty of ecology is that there’s always a story to tell. And all children love stories.We can talk about the history in a drop of water— maybe you’re drinking what once passed through the mouth of a dinosaur. Or we can think of all the ways a small beetle could be connected to a huge alligator. My favorite stories to share are the ones that show how everything in nature is connected, including humans.

Each year, thousands of students visit us on field trips. Each grade has a theme, carefully curated to support their classroom curriculum. The trips feature a set of stations and allow time for students to experience sections of the boardwalk here at Corkscrew. Although we lead the same trips many times per season, the days are richly diverse. Every group of students can change the course of the day. 

Some groups are inevitably more challenging than others. From my experience, however, those students sometimes need these programs the most. A child with behavioral issues may have an easier time controlling their actions in the beauty of nature. A child with their head in the clouds may love to wonder and think out loud to brainstorm ideas about the habitat the group is exploring.

 Finding a way to break through to a difficult group is one of the most rewarding things of all. It happens in surprising ways. While I was talking to the other guides after a program this week, one of them shared how her rambunctious group was so enamored by wildlife photos that they immediately quieted down and sat still for the first time. We never know which parts the kids will enjoy most. I’ve led groups of students who talked over me the entire time, only to fall nearly silent when it comes time to enter the boardwalk. 

Outdoor education is an incredibly powerful experience. It goes beyond teaching about nature. Children are able to explore, to dive into their curiosity, and to discover the stories that speak to them. They also begin to develop their own relationship with the natural world. This exploration is absolutely vital to build conservationists. More importantly, we’re allowing them to discover that there is joy in nature. The natural world is weird and gross and shocking and beautiful all at the same time. No matter your interests or experience level, there’s always something to learn. With well-developed programs and skilled teachers, the learning is made fun.

~AnnaFaith, Education Intern