In Touch with Nature: Learning Gate at Nature's Classroom

Like a rite of passage all sixth grade students in Hillsborough County Florida take a journey through Nature's Classroom. Since 1969 more than 300000 students have made the trek in three action filled days. They explore the Hillsborough River and its surroundings by boat and by foot. This is the story of one middle school class and its trip to Nature's Classroom. That school is learning. The charter school for K through eighth graders in Lute's just north of Tampa. The curriculum covers everything from language arts to computer technology. But learning gate really shines as a unique chance for children to interact and explore nature. Patti Girard is principal at learning community school. It's a special place because we're. Learning the environment basically. The law of nature.

It does have a family feel to it. Definitely there is a heart to the soul. So and I think that you know this course used to be like that it was more part of a community many Wargo is petty Gerard's mother she has a long history with both learning gate in the church classroom Wargo was one of the founders of the school and she participated in a campaign to stop the local school district from shutting down Nature's Classroom. In the mid-Nineties a small group of us maybe there were three or four of us involved. Decided that we would get everybody we could contact and contact their friends to send faxes and letters and. And phone calls to the school board trying to impress upon them how important this was for our children. Yes area. That's when Karen Folsom began teaching at Nature's Classroom. Now she's the site

administrator. But she remembers that back then. Times were tough. It was budget cuts. You know the county were really was getting hit hard. The community understood the value of Nature's Classroom and those that have come through here have a bond with it and they remember it as being one of their highlights of their entire school experience. So when they heard that we were closed they wouldn't allow that to happen so to speak and it kind of rallied. And the school district decided yes they needed to keep it and they reopened it as the three day program the following year when Folsom was in sixth grade she remembers her trip to Nature's Classroom at that time. It was just a nature hike. Now the focus is on the environment and the importance of habitat conservation. This is classroom is a great addition to the Hillsborough County school system because many many children would never have the opportunity to be outside.

It's early March and Reggie Reese is getting students ready for the three day field trip. Next week we will be at Nature's Classroom without a breakdown today and do some group work. But I want you to do I want to give you paper that one group and I'm not sure which group it would be would be doing Robot insects. You have a roach. You need to go through and read take notes read this and I know you're probably going to want one of those map when you go through it. You can write on this if you have a highlighter and you got to report back to the group. Going to come up here and tell the rest of the class what you found out from your particular she's just classroom is something that every student needs to do. I don't go to school here in this county but when I was when we were getting ready for they just classroom doing Nature's Classroom going through they just classroom.

I talk to other teachers who I knew went to school here in Tampa and talking to someone in their 30s and 40s. In the minute I mention it they lit up. It shows you it has an impact. On you with the in the way they feel about it. It was a warm feeling. But that's what this classroom is just a very natural place. For the next three days. Sam lead the students through Nature's Classroom. He's taught the program for more than eight years. I was originally hired here back in 2000. That was that was my goal which we've done a lot of changes since and

how things have changed in the school system. Day one starts with do's and don'ts. When I come back you know you were right. Each day the students complete two activities. Today starts off with learning how to navigate your way through the woods using a compass. Let's go. To to be able to know the skill of being and it is a survival skill. So you never know when you're going to be required by nature or because of certain circumstances or even an emergency to have to kind of run your way a round should be perfectly even between 40 and there you go you watch the compass there you go. Now when we do things the kids try out their new skills as they go to different points posted in the woods when we get bigger in the direction that heroes tell you to go. They're saying straight ahead. Gordon first and Anthony Ball it's actually it's a student.

Reggie Reese is sixth grade class. He learned how to work. Compass Oh yes compassing said he taught us how to use a compass. But in the north arrow and everything. And then you let us go on a trail. You started at one point you went to another point. And I connect the dots and came all the way back to point the first point. And this economic Well you know there's there's times where you know we really can you know we're all comes into focus as a teacher you know comes into focus and you can reach them. You know you can be funny or you can you can approach it several different ways to people how this how the how the students are reacting to you are there to the information and so that makes it makes it a challenge and makes it you know I'm always up for it. You know guys I want you to lines now we're going to walk into the end of the I don't mean animal compound. Besides teaching Nature's Classroom strives to preserve sought as wildlife students get to

view these rescued animals and habitats that keep both the students and animals see this. EILEEN. That's. Everything. That's right. Thank you letter from plus. You're. Right.

Let's see. It's day two today. I can't be. I think we're sitting a little bit over three hundred sixty acres and it's quite a quite a kind of large area you know. And it does give us the opportunity to pretty much describe and display. I will I will want to have major habitats would find here westward so. Much. We have the river in Cypress what you have the Hydra chemic which is kind of

very near I mean it's the Swan But it's a bit drier slightly up and then you have the time flat woods floated to regional forest and you know they have this is a chemical which is that the top of the dry land of the sea and you know it's going to school really. So it's kind of cool that they could see all of that but in a very close proximity. It leaves a sour one when we talk about habitat water we talk about time we talk about the pain that there are certain dominant fee features to it of the animals that we expect to see the dominant tree for example each one of those habitats has a particular tree that is going to be dominant in that you know in this particular area that would not be in the outlaws. You hear it when you're walking in the woods you know a ways that we can ways that we can do it where we kind of look at things you know say well you know should that be there you know like we've seen it we see it in any invasive

species of plant or something that is there. Well we see tracks so I have an exotic species such as a wild how should that be there you know what can be done how do we you know how are there ways that we we can you know that we see lessen our impact by noticing the impact of other things. And so by doing so we learn a lot from it. We. May we ask any student who's come here for the past four decades and they'll tell you similar stories about Nature's Classroom. All the teachers use similar lesson plans to give the sixth graders a common experience here or with a Spanish word rather standard or cricket which preset You support of your science grade you know. We make sure we keep it consistent that way. Nature is unpredictable. So each hike means different experiences and different animals. Some are dangerous but they provide a safe opportunity to teach students how they

should act in the wild. Make sure you know they understand it's like observe you know you know I always look at things you know like give nature the right away. You let it do its thing and then then proceed with caution. You know it was it was a lot better than like a zoo or something because I was you know it was like as Oh you can always see the animals in captivity and not in a while but and they just class or what you saw on the trail was actually while that was an animal that was Cajun it's comical. OK I'm glad he's off the trail. That's great I'm glad you spotted it because like you said we see a man around here all the time. Well I'm glad he did. I know I mean I'm sort of watching you guys turn around and get very easily out of stepped on and I might have killed a specimen of that snake right there has never been a minute. Everybody here that's how dangerous are snakes are OK. So so so everybody I know they're very beautiful and fascinating

snakes but remember Numero Uno most dangerous snake in North America in America because of its venom. OK let's go. Students do what's called shoreline sampling. They collect what they find in groups using small dipping nets and then place it all in tubs for a closer look. This isn't just teaching about the rock it's also collecting some scientific data all of the creatures collected along the shoreline assists in the actual scientific following of the health of the Hillsborough River. The information that we compiled from the two classes that go out two times a day. But it gets into a master list in bacon. We will see the health of the river. I love my view out of my mouth that way. I think that whatever you wear after shoreline sampling the students go inside and examine their findings under a micro viewer.

They learn the names of the aquatic life they've captured and then released them back into the river. Mike you kind of share and. Yeah I want you to have today we got a lot of stuff because France Russia because they knew all your stuff. And we also got a couple we choose from. You can't have helping a river without having these these creatures. So when they get an understanding of those things then suddenly they don't look like do you keep bugs. They actually look like you know wow that's you know that's what's against another discovery. They really get a lot out of it. You know it's so it's it's wonderful from that perspective. When their children's children come through here and they can picture that grandpa have you know him holding a snake or you know or using a met on the

river you know the tremendous impact of that. First of all it's the third and last day and time for one of the student's favorite activities. Handling like if I do this. Which way. Should. Students spend time with their guide learning all about the need of Florida animals that live painters classrooms. Everything from mammals to reptiles. But for them to get a chance to really see what the zoo more I and most are what they look like in real not just looking I mean in a magazine or a book use you know it's a sit frozen with wonder if you want them to understand that they have a tremendous impact upon you that you are the habitats of their environment and that you know that's not to be taken lightly. It's not just appreciation you know recently has to be a little bit of work in order to preserve it and understand it. And that's what we want to try to get you know try to convey to them. I. Think.

It's. OK to go with those he or she can get. This will be a part. Of it. These abandoned animals are usually donated by the Florida Wildlife and Game Commission. Nature's Classroom educate students on the proper care of animals in the wild and the difference between domestic and wild and exotic some of the rescued the lantern's people take a bit of the idea let's say how cool would you have an exotic animal for a pet to die if. Vaccinations differ. Everything is music is different and it becomes expensive to a lot of people and sometimes you know just don't we act to people the way that they hoped it would. The students enjoy interacting with the wildlife. But I was born wants them to understand all the risks involved and they get the chance to see these

images for them. But at the same time you know it's the other way understanding work and understand the full impact of that the best part was the. Restaurant there was a memory and you learn about you. Like maybe you saw my things that you probably would never say in your life. I did something I never do was hold the baby. They were like. That but a lot of students in Hillsborough County really don't get that much opportunity to begin to go down because forever to actually see what is there like in terms of in terms of the book with the birds and the wading birds and shore birds that the herons and the wood storks will eat grits you know or even the Roseate Spoonbills which you know you can see that all the way

up you know you believe it was bird river basins rather as a lawn of the mangroves along the bay. So a beautiful bird. It's just so much for these eating so much better for them to concentrate. You know when you get at the river you're going to chance to get get the feeling you're a lot cooler you know especially you know we're not on the hot days we go we go down there and it's really like sheets green it's quiet. We students get a chance to see and hear and feel that the elements can often play a vital role in the quality of the trip. For the sixth graders we've had an exceptionally wet wet year this year and almost every week we get we get a lot of you get a lot of rain which is keeping the river level up high. And so by doing so it's it there'd be a big chance whatever of of seedlings you catch it was much better. And so on. Would we really you know we've all been very fortunate in some of the things the suits have been in the sea almost you know really. I thought. Before I went to take this class and you got within 10 feet of snow here they

were done as alligators were just like oh man. Well but that wasn't true. With its focus on environmental issues learning the Community School brings a distinctive audience of young people to Nature's Classroom. When a gate is you know being in a bad middle school that's what they're trying to target for their students and we definitely expect them to come out a little bit more prepared because of their background. Yes I do know that the comet has come back to us that they love it when our students go because yes such great questions. That's kind of you know I mean I think it's wonderful I was. I'm glad to see I like the smaller magnet schools that that have that kind of

emphasis. You know I mean obviously they put a lot of emphasis on the science aspect of it. Learning gate is on track to be one of the first schools in the nation to be totally green. From a group right. Natural step you know is part of the learning curve ahead. I mean not only are we making a green concert I mean really here or green class and that's probably mean or you recycle cans to make it. No we didn't. We're saving energy we're building a classroom that's good for the environment and it's not hurting anything. It's the first one to do it here in Tampa here in Florida here in the United States. It's hard to believe it's not. But I'm part of it. Every student that participates in Nature's Classroom gets to see how much the staff truly

enjoys teaching in a natural environment. This is my love for when I was a sixth grader I was out here and I remember asking how to teach in a place like this or how the teachers got their jobs and I never thought I would be here. It is kind of a dream come true for me. I like the way that we're able to really you know when the light goes on in the child's eyes and he starts having fun with something. So it seems science can be fun. And it's not you know it's not all facts and figures and when they go out you know and they hurt her. But her discovery for instance like I get to relive that over and over again soon with this one. They know how to captivate this new generation in an ever changing world where knowledge of the environment will shape their future. I don't think these children are going to forget as much as you think they might.

They have incredible memories and absorbing the things that are there. You say there's nothing like not just class. I'd also love their wives pretty much and they've seen everything and they think they've seen everything. But once you're in they're just hostile it's all changed. Like this classroom is totally necessary. It should be done not only here. It should be more than just sixth grade. I could go back tomorrow next week next month and get the same enjoyment out of it. Just one isn't enough. I honestly feel that way once is not enough. It's excellent. For almost 40 years Nature's Classroom has brought kids closer to nature. I hope they never do do away with Nature's Classroom. If you haven't been there you really need to go see just what great things are doing. To continue to provide what we hope is a very

excellent opportunity for students to be outside and be a part of nature and understand that they are a part of the surrounding world around them. And we're going to continue to do this for many many years into the future as long as they will still. As long as Nature's Classroom exists so thrilling and memorable experience.

You're. In. And.