April 30, 2014 – Research suggests that environmental education for children is critical because it helps them develop into adults who understand and care about environmental stewardship; nurtures a sense of wonder, imagination, and creativity; enhances physical development and overall health; and has been proven to improve test scores and problem solving skills.
Last week, the Western Slope Conservation Center hosted field trips that took students from five Delta County public schools out of their classrooms and into nature for a multidisciplinary hands-on environmental education experience.
On April 24 and 25th, 230 fourth graders (10 year olds) from Cedaredge Elementary, Crawford P-6, Delta’s Lincoln Elementary, Hotchkiss K-8, and Paonia Elementary gathered at the Paonia River Park to explore the river while learning about conservation.
“Throughout the years the Conservation Center has consistently heard from teachers that they need three things to educate their students about the environment and conservation: opportunities to bring kids outside; teaching materials to help kids observe their natural environment; and experts to teach kids about local conservation issues. We organized field trips at the River Park to meet all of these needs at once,” said Joanna Calabrese, Field Trip Organizer with the Conservation Center.
Seven structured learning stations set up around the park engaged students in fun, creative, activities such as games, demonstrations, and artwork. Stations were run by local environmental educators, artists, and regional conservation experts.
The Delta Conservation District taught students about using interactive water table display; Solar Energy International demonstrated solar cookers and solar bike-powered generators; the Western Slope Conservation Center demonstrated water pollution using an interactive display; The U.S. Forest Service GMUG Office led an engaging game about aquatic insects; and the Black Canyon Audubon Society taught students how to identify birds. Local naturalists and photographers took students on a short hike to explore and photograph the river, and local artists and art educators facilitated a field sketching session. Students documented what they learned at each station using activity notebooks created specially for the event by the Conservation Center.
The Conservation Center hosted the field trip last year for 150 students from the Paonia area, but was unable to fund school buses to bring students from public schools farther away in the County. As a result of the successful field trip in 2013, they received grants from the Cocker Kids Foundation and the Captain Planet Foundation to pay for school bus transportation, and to support lunch and lodging for volunteer educators. Over 25 educators volunteered 7-14 hours of their time free of charge over the two field trip days.
The field trip was a special opportunity for cash-strapped Delta County schools to get their kids out of the classroom this spring. Several of the schools had either cancelled their spring field trips for unanticipated reasons or had too small a budget to organize anything substantial. As a result of a large team and grant funding, the Conservation Day Field trips were entirely free for schools.
“It is very rare that schools are offered a full-day educational program like these field trips without any expenses. We believe that all Delta County students deserve an opportunity to experience hands on-environmental education with minimal barriers to entry,” said Sarah Sauter, Executive Director of the Western Slope Conservation Center.
The Paonia River Park is a special resource for schools. Conveniently located walking distance from Paonia Elementary and the Vision School, and a 15 minute drive from schools in Hotchkiss, it is the only public park access along more than 30 miles of the North Fork of the Gunnison River. The park is home to numerous species of native plants and birds and a showcase example of a successful river restoration.
The Conservation Center plans to host the field trips again next year and intends for the event to become an annual tradition that all Delta County 4th grade students, teachers, and parents anticipate and remember as a formative part of their K-12 academic experience.
Conservation Center staff are available year-round to host school groups of all ages at the Paonia River Park. They facilitate activities on water quality monitoring and watershed health, and lead trash and trail clean ups. For more information about the Conservation Center’s environmental education program, contact Joanna Calabrese at [email protected].Category:
Education