Connecting Kids with Nature

For Earth Day, Cascadia Conservation District sponsored an essay contest for middle school students. As part of the contest students were tasked with answering the question, "what does nature mean to you and what do you do to protect it." The winners of the contest received savings bonds courtesy of Cashmere Valley Bank and got to spend Saturday, May 21 conducting wood duck surveys with Kelly Cordell-Stine, a Wildlife Biologist with Chelan County PUD. This posting was written by Kelly and is her reflection of that day.

Special thanks to Kelly, Chelan County PUD, and Cashmere Valley Bank for their support!

On May 21, the top 3 winners (Eva, Gauge, and Vivian) of the Cascadia Conservation District’s Earth Day Essay contest met down at Wenatchee Confluence State Park.  Eva, Gauge, and Vivian were presented with certificates acknowledging their accomplishment from Cascadia Conservation District.  Following the awards, the students came with me on a nature hike to explore the Horan Nature Area and to conduct wood duck nest box surveys.

Engaging the students in hands-on activities was a great way to teach them about habitat stewardship.  They learned about the plants and animals than can be found within the Nature Area, where to look for them, and the actions Chelan PUD takes to help manage the habitat in the Nature Area.  Osprey, bald eagles, and swallows circled overhead.  Herons took watch in a nearby field.  Pocket gophers scurried ahead of the kids as they entered a grassy meadow.  What great finds!  The kids had a lot of good questions, and were quick to point out interesting features or animal sightings in the field. 

I had them work as a team to survey wood duck nest boxes out in the meadow.  Were they ever in for a treat!  They observed first-hand what wood duck, tree swallow, and Northern flicker eggs looked like.  They watched in fascination as Northern flickers hatched out of their eggs.  The highlight of the trip was that we were lucky enough to observe a wood duck hen on the nest, incubating a clutch of eggs.  The students shared their findings with each other and documented each observation.  The students were thrilled and had a wonderful day exploring the Nature Area. 

Hands-on experiences with nature connect people with the outdoors and provide an experience matched by no other.  The type of experience may vary-- trail restoration, wildlife surveys, nature photography, picking up litter—but all are equally important for connecting people with the resource.  Additionally, the experience provides some ownership and investment of a particular area, leaving people connected by providing a first-hand experience; not some nebulous ecological concept memorized from a book for a test.  Instead, the experience is converted to “I saw….”  “I did….”  The feeling of ownership is important to our younger generations, especially if we want them to feel invested in the community and feel that they can make a difference. 

I was excited to partner in the program because I was able to provide a hands-on experience for the students in one of our area’s finest birding locations.  The Horan Nature Area is a gem for the community and I am always happy to expose others to its value for both wildlife and people.  

For more information on the Horan Nature Area and Chelan PUD’s Wildlife programs, please visit www.chelanpud.org/wildlife-programs.html