2024-25 eeCorps Great Stories
What's it like to serve as an AmeriCorps member in the eeCorps? Hear from the members themselves:
2024-25 Member Stories
- Riparian Exploration! by Grace Mullins
- Lesson Planning Pays Off by Sarah Buckley
- A Day on the Water by Tianna Kell
- Lincoln Hills at History Colorado by Pedro Gutierrez
- Rocky by Tiger Locheart
- Owl Pellet Discovery by Maya Alves
- Learning to Bike by Trevor Oman
- The Stick-Figure Owl by Jess Korgen
- Best day ever! by Andi Wells
- 3rd Grade Bike Field Trip with [A Local] Elementary School by Cy Hassell
- Los Gusanos by Grace Apodaca
- A Young Audience by Wendy Griesan
- Opening Doors to NEW Possibilities by Sarah Buckley
- CPW Live in Concert by Pedro Gutierrez
- New Growth by Micah Rogers
- A Snake Everyday by Tianna Kell
- Dance! by Tiger Locheart
- A Hands-On Lesson in Wildlife Mapping by Maya Alves
- Exploring Colorful Colorado by Grace Mullins
- Migration Moment by Jess Korgen
- A Winter Immersion by Trevor Oman
- On Widening of View by Ryon Merrick
- Animal Tracking Experts by Andi Wells
- Confidence Building on Cross Country Skis by Cy Hassell
- Students Love People, Not just Programs by Pedro Gutierrez
- Hand in Hand by Wendy Griesan
- Hopeful Conversations by Micah Rogers
- More to Learn by Tianna Kell
- Appreciation by Tiger Locheart
- What Do You See? by Grace Apodaca
- Building Connections through Community Bingo by Maya Alves
- Positive Impacts by Grace Mullins
- Feathers and Flight by Lark BenDaniel
- Learning the Ropes by Trevor Oman
- Mountain Driving by Ryon Merrick
- Public Speaking, Oh My! by Kallan Carter
- Increasing Engagement by Andi Wells
- Western Slope Outdoor Connections by Cy Hassell
- Teach Like Everyone is Watching by Pedro Gutierrez
- Professional Development by Wendy Griesan
- Bittersweet Goodbyes by Micah Rogers
- Meeting You There! by Tianna Kell
- Struggle is Okay by Tiger Locheart
- Turning Student Distractions into Student Teaching by Grace Apodaca
- Friends in the River by Liv Wheeler
- Homeschool Field Trip by Lark BenDaniel
- Building Campfires by Maya Alves
- Silent Affirmations by Grace Mullins
Jump Back to the Current eeCorps Term Stories
Grace Mullins, serving with Catamount Institute, writes:
Last week, I had the joy of spending time with a curious and delightfully silly group of 5 and 6 year old's during our riparian ecosystem day. We spent the afternoon exploring Mesa Creek, which winds through beautiful Sondermann Park.
On Friday, we ventured out to a flooded bridge in search of signs of beaver activity and to our surprise, one of the campers spotted a crawdad resting in the water! The whole group gathered to observe it, asking questions and sharing ideas. Their excitement and natural curiosity were contagious.
Some campers compared the murky creek water to chocolate milk, while others got hands-on by trying to build their own beaver dams with sticks and mud.
It’s moments like these, seeing the world through a child’s eyes, that remind me why this work is so meaningful. There’s nothing quite like watching young minds light up with wonder at the simple magic of nature. 💚
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Sarah Buckley, serving with Dinosaur Ridge, writes:
We just completed our first five weeks of camp, and I got to see the lesson plans that I created in action! I've never created and delivered lesson plans that I've created, so it was amazing to have a chance to see campers responding well to the activities I created, as well as the activities that I found from other sources.
The big thing with lesson plans is that it's obviously impossible to know how it will go until it's been delivered, and each group responds differently. I learned a lot by observing the lessons in action, and I realized how much development happens between ages 5-7. I was able to take what I learned and adapt the lessons to include options for different aged audiences.
We run two camps at a time, each with 18 campers. One of the groups leans to the younger side (mostly 5-7 year olds), while the other group tends to be a bit older (7-10 year olds). Both camps usually do the same camp theme each week, meaning that the lesson plans tend to include the same activities, just on a different schedule. I was very intentional when adjusting my lesson plans to make sure that the lessons were developmentally appropriate for each different age group, with adaptations that can be made on-the-fly to adjust to different groups, campers, and learning styles. I'm really proud of the work that I put in, and it brought me so much joy to watch campers enjoy the activities that I spent a lot of time coming up with and coordinating!
Tianna Kell, serving with The Greenway Foundation, writes:
Our summer season recently kicked off and we've been doing camp, free family events, and excursions with local teens. It's been exciting and busy to say the least.
I recently had the chance to help take out our high schoolers on trip to evergreen lake where we got to go kayaking with [Evergreen Park & Recreation District]. Most of the students had never been on the water like that before and we're fairly nervous to get in the boats and get started. But once we were on the water they quickly warmed up. Racing, playing games, and splashing each other.
It was amazing to see everyone get out of their comfort zone and try something new!
Pedro Gutierrez, serving with Lincoln Hills Cares, writes:
This month, I had the opportunity to truly enjoy all that Lincoln Hills has to offer; now that we have begun to bring students to the site and teach about the hundred year history that we have all fallen in love with.
However, on what was my 4th day of car camping, I ascended back down the mountain to what my coworkers call "the flats." Upon arriving home after multiple days of truly immersing myself into nature, I quickly got dressed for the unveiling of the new Lincoln Hills Exhibit at the History Colorado Museum. This was an all-hands-on-deck team moment, where board members and founders of Lincoln Hills all arrived ready to experience a journey through time.
When I arrived, I found myself in the VIP tour group, where original family members of this history were all in tears at the new exhibit. I heard stories of family, growing up as a [person of color], and building connections that have lasted the test of time. The new exhibit featured an entire rebuild of Wink Lodge with all the original fire places, building structures, and a 3-part video series that was so clear that it immediately put you into the mindset of what Lincoln Hills stood for and stands for today.
This life-like version of history was an amazing reminder that their is so much work left to be done and the only way out is through. We are a community and together we create a community!
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Tiger Locheart, serving with Cal-Wood Education Center, writes:
This summer I've transitioned to our Latino Family Camps. These are weekend programs where we teach families how to camp and help make nature more accessible. I have been leading our away camps in Rocky Mountain National Park. During these programs we teach them how to set up a tent, cook on a propane stove, fish, bird and go on some awesome hikes.
During a camp two weeks ago I was passing out national park passes as a little present to all the families. One woman hugged me for a long while and began crying. She said how much it meant to her to be able to explore the national parks for free. She shared that she tries to buy a pass every year to show her support of the parks but now she doesn't have to! Being in nature with her family was a break from the stress of daily life and the intensity of being an immigrant in America these days. Being able to provide her with a moment to rest and a way to continue to come back was incredibly impactful for us both.
Maya Alves, serving with Bluff Lake Nature Center, writes:
One of my favorite moments was when I stepped in as a substitute counselor for our youngest summer camp group. Our first activity that day was dissecting owl pellets. The kids were so focused as they carefully pulled the pellets apart, searching for tiny bones hidden inside. They were even more excited when they found out they could keep what they discovered!
I walked around the group, offering tips and asking them to figure out which bones belonged to which animals the owl had eaten. I was amazed at how much they already knew about owls, they asked thoughtful questions and shared facts with each other. It was such a fun way to connect their curiosity to our site, too, since I got to tell them that we actually have two great horned owls with two babies living here. Seeing their excitement made me feel like I was helping them build a real connection to the nature around them.
Trevor Oman, serving with The Nature Connection, writes:
Over the past five weeks, my fellow Americorps member and I have been running The Nature Connection’s “Learn to Bike” program. This program was designed to help Kindergarten through 3rd-grade students gain confidence riding a bicycle. The pinnacle of the program is our 3rd Grade Bike Day, which teaches students the fundamentals of mountain biking and Leave No Trace Principles. In the course of a program week, we will see a wide range of abilities and comfort levels with biking.
Some students are seasoned bicyclists who want to ride fast and find new challenges. Often, we work with these students on the basics of safe riding: how and when to use their brakes, the importance of keeping their eyes on the road/trail ahead of them, and how to shift gears on a mountain bike. Other students approach this new activity with fear and anticipation, but also curiosity and tenacity. These first-time cyclists practice with balance bikes before making the transition to pedaling. It is always inspiring to see the kids fall and get back up again. Their resilience is incredible.
However, not all of the students we teach succeed in learning to pedal. Fred, a second grader, was one of these students. However, instead of becoming frustrated with not having a pedal bike, Fred was overjoyed to be able to ride a balance bike and push himself along with his feet. During one of our class challenges, students attempted to balance their bikes on a “balance beam,” a narrow curb at the edge of the playground. I worried that Fred would not be able to participate in the challenge, since he was not successfully balancing for more than a few feet at a time before needing to put his foot down. I opted to offer Fred a supportive hand on his handlebars, to guide him across the balance beam without the need for him to balance the bike by himself. He said yes, and each time I guided his bike across the curb, he smiled and commented on how fun it was.
While students are not always ready for some of the challenges we offer them, what is most important in the work that we do is that we are facilitating a connection to nature and time outdoors. Oftentimes, what we as instructors designate as most significant in a lesson may not be for the students, and respecting their ability to express preferences, and creating a variety of ways for them to participate is vital and rewarding.
*Student name changed for privacy
Jess Korgen, serving with Denver Audubon, writes:
I taught my last in-school program today. It is the week before summer camp begins and I will no longer be traveling to schools to teach, the end of an era in my service. The lesson for today was owl adaptations. I brought in my owl kit full of taxidermy for the students to touch and owl pellets for them to dissect.
This lesson is one that I am fond of; it is the first I ever shadowed and it felt full circle that it was the last I would ever teach. Prior to the start of my term, I had never taught in a classroom before. I had plenty of experience playing with and watching kids, but none delivering curriculum--let alone to classes that I had just met. I was secretly terrified my first time doing it, worried that I would not keep students' attention or explain things in a way they could understand. Over time though, I slowly gained confidence and improved my delivery with every lesson. I now feel prepared and confident when I teach, and it is bittersweet that this experience is coming to an end. Still, today felt like the perfect ending.
After the lesson, something special happened that made me sure I was making a difference. A kindergartener walked up to me as I was packing up my kit and handed me two tiny, folded up scraps of paper. She said in earnest "Here, to help you teach other kids about the owls" and ran away. I opened it and found the most beautiful stick figure owls and owl pellet. Looking at this piece of paper, no one else would have known what they were looking at but I have held on to it because in that moment I knew that I had done my job. I knew that she, along with her classmates fully absorbed the lesson and would be telling their families about the owls they saw that day. They would start noticing the birds that chirp around them have a newfound respect for the animals in their environment. Helping students forge a connection to and better understanding of nature was my goal coming into this term, and I finally feel like I have accomplished that.
Andi Wells, serving with Bluff Lake Nature Center, writes:
Recently, we have been having a lot of field trips to our site. I have the pleasure of helping lead these field trips and showing off our site to students from the surrounding areas.
A lot of the time, it is the students' first time being on our site. As the weather has gotten warmer, more and more animals have been out and about around our site, which has been great for field trips. During these field trips, I have overheard many students say "this is the best day ever" and /or "this is the best field trip ever". Hearing this is very rewarding and helps to put things into perspective. I get to help kids have the "best day ever" and help them connect with nature when some may not get that chance very often.
Cy Hassell, serving with The Nature Connection, writes:
Earlier this month, we began our third grade mountain biking field trips. On these trips, students from Delta County and [Local] schools get to spend a day at one of our community bike parks. Half of their day is riding trails, bumps, jumps, teeter totters and more. After this biking station is done; they will head over to our education stations. I've taken the lead this spring on our education stations, so that my AmeriCorps partner, Trevor, can be our bike lead. So at my education stations, we cover all seven principles of leave no trace, play a memory card game involving durable surfaces, and end with a “Foxes and Grouses” game, where we learn about prey and predator relationships through the lens of our greater sage grouse and Gunnison sage grouse and foxes in the area.
My great story begins with the [A Local] Elementary School. Not only do I remember finding my voice and passions as an educator when I began here at Nature Connection 2 years ago, but I remember how much I loved this school’s culture and community. And recently, my wife, Eden, had just began working at the [Local] Elementary. She has made many meaningful relationships with the same kids, and was filling me in weeks leading up to the moment of our field trip how excited they all were!
And sure enough, even with a little bit of a hiccup on the [Local Elem] 3rd grade field trip day, it was a wonderful time with great weather, great attitudes, and great friends. Many kids were able to experience biking in ways that they haven't before, as well as learn a lot more about their surrounding areas and nature. Many kids throughout the day from station to station switch, came over to me asking if I was Mrs. Eden’s husband, and it made my heart very happy to know we both are putting so much care into these kids.
A few days after the program, the [elementary] kids sent Eden home with some big bike wheel posters signed by all the kids saying how much fun and how thankful they were to go on our bike field trip. I love serving this community and I have never once felt like my position here has been anything but impactful and meaningful.
Grace Apodaca, serving with Thorne Nature Experience, writes:
I was teaching an in-school lesson for a preschool group on decomposers and brought in a bucket of worms. There was one little boy who, despite not speaking much English, made his hesitancy toward the worms very clear.
I am currently learning Spanish, so I asked him some simple questions about what he was seeing to spark some curiosity. I walked around to check in on the other kids and when I got back, he was holding a worm in his palm with a massive grin on his face. He looked at me and said, "¡Me gustan los gusanos! (I like worms!)".
Wendy Griesan, serving with Colorado Canyons Association, writes:
I recently had the opportunity to work with a new age group: K-2. I had only worked with that small of children while nannying and doing more casual programs.
This experience allowed me to plan and execute a lesson about plants with this age group. It was really fun to bridge the gap in my professional experience as an Environmental Educator and my casual experience with young children. By acting out plant adaptations, these students cemented previous knowledge and immersed themselves in the native plant community.
Taking students outside and embracing the connection between people and planet creates life-long learners and strong communities. This is why I serve with eeCorps (AmeriCorps).
Bonus was getting a giant group hug from the 1st graders that attended.
Sarah Buckley, serving with Dinosaur Ridge, writes:
Over spring break camp, we had a 7 year old camper named Michael* who was very sweet and social, but he had a really hard time staying focused throughout the week. He was very vocal about being interested in geology, but none of the activities we did the first two days held his attention.
On the third day of camp, however, we had a geologist and paleontologist guest speak for the campers. The paleontologist talked about the research posters he's made, while the geologist who came to speak talked about identifying rocks and minerals. He was so focused and engaged during their visits, and afterwards he came up to me and said "I loved geology before today, but now I'm OBSESSED with it!" That alone brought me so much joy, but later in the day the campers were creating murals and he decided to work with his friend to make a scientific poster.
He was so excited about what they created and decided to present the poster to the rest of the campers, as well as his dad when he came to pick him up. When he was leaving, he told me that he wants to create scientific posters about geology as a job someday! I was so happy to see how excited he was about learning, and I love that we're able to introduce kids to careers and opportunities that they never knew existed. Even if it's only one child that learns something that excites them, it brings me joy to know that we've opened those doors and showed them the possibilities.
*Student name changed for privacy
Pedro Gutierrez, serving with Lincoln Hills Cares, writes:
This past month, the team [at] Lincoln Hills Cares [LHC] had the honor of attending the Partners [in] the Outdoor Conference, hosted by [Colorado Parks and Wildlife] (CPW) in Colorado Springs Cheyenne Mountain Resort. The variety of people I got to engage with ranged from outdoor [education] groups, Governor Polis, and key founders of organizations in the community. The LHC team decided to attend this conference as representatives and presenters for a session.
This presentation meant a lot to me, not only as a person of color, but because I was getting to represent my hometown. Growing up in the Springs, I was constantly staring at the peaks surrounding that area and the amount of nature it had to offer. To have an opportunity to merge the community of Denver and Colorado Springs felt impactful and inspiring. That the work that I am doing each and everyday reflects the mindset of my community in and out of the classroom.
When the second day had arrived, I made the decision to apply as a session presenter that discussed culturally responsive teachings, stewardship, and the hundred year history of Lincoln Hills.
Below is the session description:
Summary:
Using the role models of history and Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices we can include a variety of students from diverse backgrounds. This session will cover how to combine cultural history and environmental stewardship with successful execution. Using this model, we will uncover how to build trust in order to engage in high quality and transferable outdoor learning that yields results for all students or participants of all backgrounds and ages to become the next generation of young stewards.
Goals/Takeaways:
- Strategies to build trust for students of diverse urban and suburban backgrounds.
- The effectiveness of using and practicing steward role models to support the next
generations of stewards (pathways program) - History of Lincoln Hills and the role its played in supporting the openness of nature
- LHC impact report data, student reflections, demographic data
Overall, this experience was a powerful one that really tested my own abilities as a professional and presenter, realizing more and more that the work that we are doing is more important than ever, especially with the history of segregation and including the history of all those involved in the work of showing that nature truly is for everyone.
Below are also some of the responses that we received using a survey for feedback.
- "Thanks for making me cry happy tears recognizing the impact through student letters."
- "I loved the engagement of the entire group. I learned so much, and I am more curious than ever."
- "Loved the enthusiasm and constant open language reinforcement to create a sharing and open environment."
This experience was so impactful yet powerful and reminded me that so many of us are doing the same work all around the state!
Micah Rogers, serving with School Food Project, writes:
A new garden comes together with a little bit of elbow grease, a lot of soil, and some friends with dreams for the future.
Each semester, a few students from the Transitions program join us in the greenhouse for a part of their job training program. Over the past two school years, I have seen many students come alive while having new experiences working with plants. This semester, the program is starting a garden of their own.
Chloe and Caleb* have been helping to fill the garden beds and prepare them for planting later this spring. We have had lots of fun digging in the soil and even found a few worms! While Chole and Caleb are graduating from the program, all the students who come after them will benefit from their hard work and be able to enjoy time in their very own garden.
*Student names changed for privacy
Tianna Kell, serving with The Greenway Foundation, writes:
A few weeks ago we had a trip with some second graders. It was a beautiful Spring day, and the beginning of snake season. About an hour into the trip some kids excitedly found a tiny brown snake.
We were able to pick it up and give everyone the chance to look at it closer and pet it. The snake was super sweet and the kids ended up naming him. It was the topic of conversation for the rest of the day. They left that day all excited to keep playing and exploring in nature, saying they "want to do this everyday!"
Tiger Locheart, serving with Cal-Wood Education Center, writes:
I was teaching a group of mostly Spanish speaking students about a week ago. While I was working their lunch we began talking about all the different dances they knew, I put on some music and we all started dancing. I was introduced to new music from Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil. The joy I felt to just be around such positive, loving people was wonderful.
The cultural exchange reminded me of all my friends in Bolivia. We were teaching each other slang, and new words in Portuguese, English and Spanish.
Maya Alves, serving with Bluff Lake Nature Center, writes:
Over several weeks, our 1-3rd grade Outdoor Homeschool Enrichment group took on the challenge of setting up wildlife cameras across different habitats of Bluff Lake. Each week, we relocated the cameras to a new spot, using maps and compasses to mark the position of their locations. We taught the kids hands-on how to set up a wildlife camera, orient a compass, and read a map.
What stood out most was watching some students light up as they began to understand the process. Not just how to use the tools, but how to think spatially and problem-solve in the field. Each time we returned to collect the cameras, they helped compare our marked locations. Seeing them take ownership of the project and grow in confidence reminded me why this work matters.
Grace Mullins, serving with Catamount Institute, writes:
I recently got the opportunity to lead a field trip at the Paint Mines Interpretive Park with some 1st and 2nd grade students. We had several stations during the field trip and students got the chance to learn about how erosion can shape landscapes. At my station, students got the chance to hike through the beautiful rock formations called hoodoos that the Paint Mines are known for. It was so special to see their faces light up as we looked around at all of the beautiful colors and shapes of the rocks.
When students finished my station they told me they felt accomplished from the hike, and they were amazed at how erosion can cause such amazing landforms! This will definitely be a field trip I won't forget from my service, and I'm very thankful for the opportunity to connect these students to the outdoors.
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Jess Korgen, serving with Denver Audubon, writes:
I serve at the Denver Audubon where our busiest time of the year is the bird banding season (April-May). Almost every day, we have classes travel to the Audubon for a field trip where they actually get to watch birds being banded. Prior to this trip, I go into schools and teach them about migration. We play a few games, get the students moving around, and help them understand why the birds they will see on the field trip are migrating. The lesson and the field trip are a package deal, so every class visiting us receives one. The kids usually get into the activities and get excited, but the lesson is sometimes just seen as a required precursor for the big event: the field trip.
On one of my trips to a school, I did the same routine I always do: my intro, explaining the activity, reflection time, etc. The lesson went well; the kids seemed to have had a good time and learned a lot. At the end of the lesson though, something happened that really touched my heart. While the rest of the students were lining up to leave, one student who had been quiet the whole lesson walked up to me and shyly said “I loved learning about birds today,” then quickly ran away to catch up with her class.
This was one of the first times I felt like I was truly making a difference. A lesson that some see as just a necessity to get to the field trip was this student’s favorite part of the day. This moment also made me realize that children who may not seem as engaged or are quieter are still absorbing the environmental education I am giving them, which makes me feel better about times when I couldn’t get every student super engaged. I am feeling grateful to have a small part in connecting kids with nature and am excited to reconnect with all of these students on their field trips.
Trevor Oman, serving with The Nature Connection, write:
I am an AmeriCorps member serving as a Generation Wild Outdoor Educator with The Nature Connection in Hotchkiss, Colorado. Recently, we conducted our final fourth-grade ski field trip of the season; these field trips are an introduction to the world of winter ecology and snow science while also allowing students to experience cross-country skiing, many of them for the first time.
Leading up to our final field trip, our weather watch was giving us cause for caution, as it showed frigid temperatures nearing grounds for cancellation. Fortunately, the weather forecast held steady and, the day before the field trip, our ski lead gave us the green light to run the trip.
I knew it would be an extra challenge to keep the kids warm, but we were determined to provide the students with a great experience. Arriving on the Grand Mesa, our group of volunteers, myself, and our ski lead huddled together in the icy parking lot to discuss our strategy for the day. We decided it would be best to keep the kids moving as much as possible for warmth, moving them quickly from booting up to the ski trail.
Sticking to our plan, we worked quickly to gear up the fourth graders, and soon enough we were on the ski trail. Our ski went off without a hitch; as we took educational breaks, we practiced moving our arms to keep our fingers warm, and we were even lucky enough to see a snowcat in action, grooming our trails after a fresh snow.
At the end of each trip, we conduct a survey with the students on the bus, gauging the level of learning that took place. One of our final questions asks whether the students would go skiing again. I asked this question with some anticipation, worried that their enthusiasm may have been affected by the cold winter weather. To my surprise, nearly all of the students on the bus answered yes. It was a great moment that affirmed the value of our ski program; we help students connect classroom learning to the public lands in their backyards, creating positive experiences that we hope will inspire them to a life of environmental learning.
Ryon Merrick, serving with River Watch, writes:
Did you know there’s a high school in Colorado with an Apache Military helicopter set on steel stilts a few hundred feet from its entrance? Do you know what to do with that knowledge? How to reconcile it with the three nerdy, warm students I met there? Or with the kind, patient older man who helped out as a substitute? The one who already knew all the students by name?
So much softness juxtaposed starkly against something created with a blunt certainty of violence. Do you know what to do with artistic intent whispered into the pose of the helicopter, pitched down like a plunging bird of prey? I don’t. I guess all I can do is seek a lesson in exposure. In opening ourselves to what we don’t understand. I cannot fit the jovially biting humor of those teenagers into my head alongside the machine. There’s simply not space for both, but in the effort something in me grows, expands my horizons.
I don’t think there is loss in entertaining the opposition.
That was the first leg of a long trip into another rural pocket of Colorado. A wide area I’d almost perfectly circumnavigated years earlier in a series of road trips. The following few days were full of frustrating, enlightening opposition. I went onto a ski town next. A small town no one can afford, with a resort surrounded by developments with curving streets and unwelcoming beauty.
My first night I tried to go to a quiet looking Thai spot for dinner, only to find out I’d navigated into the heart of the manufactured ski village. One turn and I was suddenly on a one way street, thick with shuttles, parking garages and a tangible sense that I simply could not afford to linger. Most days I grapple patiently with Denver’s traffic, yet these few moments figuring out where to turn around caused me an entirely unnecessary amount of panic. A rise of disgust, judgement, bitterness. The gaudy veneer of home. Of a small town built to lease and leave. I left, I calmed down. I found a different quiet Thai spot for dinner. One in the endearingly soft-lit historic downtown. A relief after my shock but a community still defined by the unending flow of skiers. One which must’ve been shaped gradually for decades by that stream. Again, I found myself fraught with that opposition. The impersonality of the modern resort homes and the vulnerability of the tightly packed neighborhoods down the hill, huddled together in the cold.
It’s hard for me to not contextualize my work in the seemingly all-consuming force of the surrounding world. I can’t ever really separate things. The small efforts, my community work, down in the soil of some imposing, awful oak. I’m forced to fit them both in my head. The same as seeing the two towns, completely at odds but driven and defined in parallel. The same as the brightness of those young minds and the dulling hopelessness of that matted steel.
Each of us placed between opposing forces, pulled apart, widening and growing as do.
Andi Wells, serving with Bluff Lake Nature Center, writes:
One of our classes in our home school science enrichment program has been studying animal tracks. Over the past two months, each week, we have studied and looked at different animal tracks that can be seen around our site. This past week, we "quizzed" them on their knowledge of animal tracks. It was really great to see how they have progressed over the past two months on this topic and their increased knowledge of it.
Cy Hassell, serving with The Nature Connection, writes:
Since the start of my service here at Nature Connection in 2023, I have had the privilege and honor of spending my days taking the youth and families of Delta County and Olathe on many adventures. (Cross country skiing, mountain biking, climbing, summer camps, and more.) Now in my second term, I have many students who remember me from the previous year or summer of Nature Connection programs. It is helpful in many ways, because I can expect more from them, and they enjoy these meaningful experiences that Nature Connection provides.
At every program, there are ways we have to adapt on the fly for the needs of our students. In ski season, there are many measures our team has put in place to ensure student safety as well as setting up an outdoor program involving exercise, learning a new sport, and ‘surviving’ in the high elevation winter environment of the Grand Mesa. We lend out boxes of free layers to schools, to make sure participants are warm and comfortable in the cold. We bring a fleet of snowshoes and “strap” style skis for students who are struggling and/or have sensory problems with our ski boots. We have a shortcut route in place on the trail, for students who want to enjoy skiing without the pressure of a long loop.
Sometimes, you just have to help that kid up again. Skiing is hard! At the last “Skis for Kids” 4th grade field trip, I spent a good portion of my day doing just that. This particular student remembered me from summer camp, helping teach her how to bike, and now teaching her how to ski. She struggled a bit getting back on her feet after she would fall backwards onto the snow, but she was determined to get back up and finish the loop. Between two Forest Service Volunteers, myself, and this student’s resilience, she was able to complete the entire 4th grade loop.
At the beginning of the day, I had my doubts that she may want to turn around at some point, put on snowshoes instead, or take the shortcut. But I was proved wrong. Not only did her class make me so proud with their encouraging words and kindness along the trail, but the smile on her face at the end of the trail solidified it. You could tell how empowering it was for her, feeling confident after she just completed a 2.8 KM cross country ski trip! It was a great day out on the snow for everyone, and reminded me of just how important this work truly is.
Pedro Gutierrez, serving with Lincoln Hills Cares, writes:
This past month my site started up their after school programs where 3-4 times a week my team and I teach at Denver Public Schools all around Denver. I can quickly recall when we started this program in the fall and I caught myself a bit hesitant to assist in these programs. Being a school teacher in a formal classroom I would often notice these programs seemed rushed or unengaging to students. However, over time I began to notice just how much of a difference this can make in a school. How students did not only just remember me but were excited to learn and test their knowledge. At first we rolled out pre and post surveys, then exit tickets, and finally teaching students to love the nature around them.
This past week we arrived at [the elementary school] to do a lesson called flower power where students dissect flowers and use microscopes to observe them. When I arrived I had set everything up for students to feel successful. We were in the massive gymnasium that had no tables and only 3 plugins for 4 microscopes. When the students walked in I noticed that I might have to adjust my instruction. The line of 18 students were ages 3-4 and needed to follow multiple instructions in order to do this effectively. I prepared my prize bin and began the activity with my favorite game, follow Mr. G on the gym lines until we make a perfect circle.
The students were not only engaged but patient as we divided into 3 groups with two other instructors and we decided that we should work as a team. The students then did their best to use microscopes for the first time. Their eyes became so engaged it reminded me just how important this work is and how going to where the students are is the only way to truly show the students the importance of nature. The students trusted me and the process and it reminded me that students really love people, not just programs.
To get to somewhere new we have to start with somewhere familiar.
Wendy Griesan, serving with Colorado Canyons Association, writes:
For my host site, program kicks off in March so during the winter months I do minimal teaching. Lucky for me, my host site supports partner programming for other EE providers. I got to facilitate the snowshoe station. We fit snowshoes to each participant, hiked out, hiked back, removed snowshoes, and got ready for the next group, etc.
After a long, sunny day and disappointing lunch we had one group left. I had been chatting with a couple students about snow sports, when I saw some boys stepping on the ski track. After emphasizing that students should keep the off the ski track for what felt like the thousandth time, I had the sweetest moment. One of the little girls I had been talking to reached up and held my hand. We kept walking and talking. Then another little girl on my other side grabbed my other hand. Everything was suddenly put into perspective. I knew I was seen and appreciated. And, I knew I could make it until the end of the day.
Micah Rogers, serving with School Food Project, writes:
After an in-school program about food waste, a student ran up to me and asked “how else can I help the environment?” I gave a few suggestions (pick up litter, compost your food, turn off the water when you brush your teeth), to each suggestion she replied “ I already do that!”.
I could tell this student was experiencing some anxiety about saving the world and was wanting something bigger, so I switched tracks.
“I can tell you care a lot about helping the environment, and that's great!” I told her. “Since you’re already doing your part as one person, the best thing you can do is help others do their part too”. We talked about ways to encourage her classmates, how to get involved in the community, and how to help her family feel empowered to be more sustainable. This conversation left me feeling hopeful and inspired about what this student and others like her might accomplish in the future!
Tianna Kell, serving with The Greenway Foundation, writes:
So far in the year, much of our time has been spent preparing for the summer and spring seasons to start back up. However, we've been doing some after school programs here and there with kids. Recently
we've returned to the same school a couple time, teaching about various nature related things, like water pollution, mammals, nocturnal creatures, and more. We're at the point the kids have begun to recognize us.
One afternoon we walked in and they hadn't yet told the kids we'd be there. A bunch of them jumped up and happily welcomed us back. They were so excited, running up to us saying things like "you're here!" and "what do we get to learn about today"! It was so adorable watching them so excited to learn some new things.
Tiger Locheart, serving with Cal-wood Education Center, writes:
Last week I was teaching a two day program, our first day we focused on team building and survival skills. Learning about the ten essentials, building a quinzee, [and] overall having a really fun time. We hadn't gone super far beyond the lodge so I decided to bring them to long view, a 15 [minute] hike to see Rocky Mountain National Park. Some of the kids were struggling hiking uphill but all stayed positive.
Just before [we] arrived there are some bushes and trees blocking the view. Two of my students turned around and said, "wow this is so beautiful, the hike was so worth it"! They were just looking at a couple hills but the excitement and positivity made my heart warm. When we actually made it to Long View they were in awe. One kid said, "this looks like a PDF"!
Grace Apodaca, serving with Thorne Nature Experience, writes:
I was facilitating an after-school program at a school that has access to a creek, where I am usually stationed with nets and buckets. I was looking at it, watching trash flow downstream and oily foam building up on the water's edge, when a student joined me. He stared at the creek for a minute, then exclaimed, "It's beautiful! I love the flowing water and the trees and the way the rocks look when they are wet!"
It made me pause, because I considered the creek to be ugly and marred, but I was blinding myself to the beauty that was there. The creek was trashed, yes, but it also rippled in the light and the trees framed the water like a painting and the rocks sparkled with a thousand shades of grey and silver. I hold that experience close, and when I think something negative about the world, I try to pause and find the beauty too.
Maya Alves, serving at Bluff Lake Nature Center, writes:
Last week, I led a Community Bingo activity where my 1st-3rd graders I teach every week had to find things they had in common with their peers and get each square signed to complete their bingo. It was great to see every single participant engaged, something that doesn’t always happen in our group activities!
As they eagerly [shared] favorite foods, hobbies, and other facts about themselves, they not only built connections but also practiced key interpersonal skills. Watching their excitement grow as they discovered commonalities reminded me how important community-building is in environmental education.
Grace Mullins, serving at the Catamount Institute, writes:
Today I led an in-school field trip with a lovely kindergarten class all about movement. As I walked in I noticed some familiar faces from this years summer camp! As I was introducing myself and Catamount Institute, I was pleasantly surprised to hear my past campers give some awesome answers to my questions that they had learned at camp. One student remembered all about our respect rules, and he did an excellent job sharing about how we can respect ourselves, others and nature.
As the field trip went on, we started an activity called "Nest Test." The class was challenged to build nests for chicken eggs, and my two returning students paired up and made an impressive nest. They came to me and reminded me of how they did this activity during camp, and they used what they learned the first time and made todays nest even better. It made me so proud to see that these students remembered so much from camp, and that it made an impact on them.
Lark BenDaniel, serving at the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, writes:
As my coworker and I walk through the door of the 2nd grade classroom, we hear a pair of small gasps. “It’s a hummingbird!” whispers one of the wide eyed students, pointing to the small bird mount in our wagon. One of them walks up to me and immediately starts asking questions. “My sister wants to be you when she grows up!” he says with excitement.
https://caee.org/MemberStories#Tianna3
During the lesson, I show the students a duck wing and demonstrate how its special oils make the wing waterproof. I pour drops of water onto the wing and they slide right off onto the carpet, which gets gasps and “whoas” from the kids. We have them flap their arms to mimic eagles, and then hummingbirds, challenging them to flap their arms as fast as a hummingbird. During the second part of the lesson, students eagerly look at woodpecker and peacock feathers with magnifying glasses. They also get to color in their own bird pictures, making a rainbow of different birds in all their favorite colors. A few of them run up to me, eager to tell me about their colorful eagles and hummingbirds. When our time with the students is up, many are reluctant to put away their crayons.
Trevor Oman, serving at The Nature Connection, writes:
This past month, I began my AmeriCorps service term as a Generation Wild Outdoor Educator with The Nature Connection in Hotchkiss, Colorado. It has been a busy month; right away we started our classroom presentations with 4th and 6th graders. The goal of these presentations is to get the kids excited about their upcoming field trips with The Nature Connection to The Grand Mesa, where they will cross-country ski and learn about Winter Ecology. We also emphasize the importance of clothing, food, and nutrition in the outdoors. It was fun to meet the students we will be taking on the field trips and to see their enthusiasm and curiosity. I am looking forward to seeing them again in January, February, and March to continue their outdoor education experience.
In addition to the classroom presentations, we have been running our ski lending programs, which help break down the cost barriers to getting outside during the colder months. On the 14th, we successfully ran our first Family Fun Day Community Pop-up with the Nordic Council on the Grand Mesa, where we lent out our skis to individuals and families, giving them the chance to try cross-country skiing for the first time or continue to improve their skiing skills. We had great weather with a clear, sunny day (and no wind), making for a fun day meeting new people and seeing them grow their confidence on the snow. I am glad to be a part of the AmeriCorps and the Environmental Education Corps to help The Nature Connection expand its program offerings and break down barriers to accessing the outdoors.
Ryon Merrick, serving at River Watch, writes:
This job took me out to Durango for the first time. Drove 900 miles in four days. Visited a handful of volunteers, a highschool, even a middle school.
In my interview I expressed how much I was enticed by the idea of this job giving me a reason to explore, to leave Denver and wind along the mountain throughways cutting their way to the western slope. Before starting I hadn’t gone further than Winter Park. Now I’ve been to Fruita, out to the Kansas border, and all the way down to Trinidad and back.
I’m home for Christmas vacation right now. My mom, an inspiring sentimental schmuck, picked up one of those AAA road maps. Maybe you know them. They’re hurried and over complicated, a state map bordered by blown out bits of cities which simply make the whole presentation more confusing. Guess google maps has rotted my brain out a bit hasn’t it? Last night she and I sat down with some markers and began to go over the map with my travels in the state. A branching, knotted wood extending out from Denver, like a bird’s eye view of an old tree stretching its boughs. It felt like that somehow, exploring out into something big and beautiful and old. I’m so grateful, even for the times where the driving wore on me or I had to push through traffic in the Springs.
I think I’ve always been a homebody of sorts. Someone who nests, someone who digs in. I love to create spaces of safety and ease. At times to a fault, at times the drive toward comfort ends up pulling me away from the world and sometimes I pull myself away. I’ve been learning to push a bit when I feel that pull. A slow process of balancing myself with myself. That feeling has been close this week, what with the intoxicated, fuzzy sweetness of my childhood home and my rainy, quiet hometown. The sort of place where even when the really sad things happen, they feel muffled.
I think managing volunteers is good for me. I think it makes me put myself aside and makes me draw myself in, closer to the world. Both at once it helps me reach out to the world and see myself in it. Closes a gap while opening something in me. Nothing would’ve made me see this much of the state in such a short period of time. Nothing would’ve made me interact with so many new folks or build so many new connections. But despite the certainty I have in those statements, none of this has felt foreign. It felt like exactly what I was ready for, like the thing I needed urging toward, the nudge I wanted and barely knew to ask for. I sure am grateful.
I’ve found myself in this job. I have a lot of complicated feelings about that statement. Complicated feelings about identity and work being tied. Complicated feelings about the passivity of “finding myself” somewhere as opposed to the assertion of building your world around you. But for a time, it’s good for me to set those feelings down and just revel a bit. I’m where I want to be professionally for the first time in my life. And I don’t think I just wandered my way into it. I think I knew I needed what I’ve been given. I needed the community. I needed to explore and connect and wander a little bit. It puts me in the best head space you could hope for, grateful to myself and grateful to those I’ve become surrounded by. What else could I hope for?
Kallan Carter, serving a second term at CSU Spur, writes:
In this term, I got cleared off to speak in front of Spur's lovely exhibit space, the Dumb Friends League (DFL). Here, live surgeries are conducted with licensed veterinarians. There is a dental suite, urgent care suite, as well as a cat enrichment room. I was fortunate to have had the choice of updating content guides associated with DFL. In these guides, they serve as a document for educators who are new to this space to refer to if they have any questions while learning about the League. The League hosts a wide array of surgeries, from mass removals, cystotomies, pyometras, and more. Updating the guides allowed me to gain greater knowledge on the area itself, including DFL's spay and neuter clinic. I was able to apply my knowledge from updating these in real life when becoming cleared to facilitate here.
During vet tech week, Spur showed its appreciation for the professionals on-site by hosting school programs solely in our Vida building, which is Spanish for "Life". This building is all about human/animal health. I was able to facilitate in front of 60 students from CMS, and felt more than ever ready to do so! I learned a lot about myself during these two hours of facilitation, one being I underestimate myself more than I give myself credit for! I am happy to be celebrating this accomplishment, as I felt comfortable communicating with the vet professionals so that the audience could hear and understand what was happening in the space.
Overall, I was so happy to have heard wonderful feedback from my supervisor, and look forward to growing even more in my role here at Spur!
Andi Wells, serving at Bluff Lake Nature Center, writes:
At Bluff Lake Nature Center, we offer a science enrichment program for home-schooled students. We are outside on site all day, teaching them various science concepts. Our younger age group has a student who was quite hesitant to participate. I made it a goal to get her to feel comfortable where she wanted to participate in activities and write in our nature journals.
During our last week of classes leading up to winter break, I noticed she was engaged and willing to participate in the planned activities. It was an encouraging sight as I saw that the work we are putting into these kids is working, and they are getting a great experience of environmental learning.
Cy Hassell, serving a second term at The Nature Connection, writes:
My great story for the late fall early winter has to be the compilation of great connections I've recently made in the outdoor field out here on the Western Slope. Firstly, I attended the Western Slope Outdoor Educators Summit (WSOES). It was the first time I was able to connect with so many outdoor educators close to me, which was a bit different than the previous eeCorps conferences that I have attended. I met a lot of people doing similar work in the area, and I also got to see some familiar faces as well!
One friend I bumped into at the WSOES remembered me from Columbine Middle School in Montrose, Colorado. It was great to share with each other what each of us was doing, and how many different ways that our work has crossed over. We all shared information and knowledge/possible resources, and so much more.
Outside of the WSOES connections, Nature Connection had recently found our newest AmeriCorps Member, Trevor. What’s hilarious is that Trevor also was in my grade, classes and corps, back in 6th and 7th grade at Columbine Middle School also! So far, Trevor and I have been catching each other up on life since middle school, waxing skis, and preparing for our cross country ski trip season’s kickoff. We already get along very well, and will be a dream team in no time.
Another crazy connection I made is with Anne, who is very involved in outdoor education work in the area. I have met her before, alongside Anita Evans at other Friends of Youth and Nature (FOYAN) events. But I actually bumped into Anne at Uncompahgre Nordic Center on Christmas Day, up Dave Wood Road in Montrose. It was great to see her and chat on the trail; as the idea to bring Nature Connection’s cross country ski equipment to the Uncompahgre Nordic Center Trails. We already host pop-up cross country ski community days on the Grand Mesa, and have been brainstorming new areas to host a day or two.
We’ve already begun emailing and planning, and are a few steps away from being an official event. Alongside these deep connections that I have been making in this community, I have also been preparing for our ski season by coordinating volunteers from our partner organizations such as Forest Service, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and more. It was a nerve-wracking start to my first full experience as a volunteer coordinator, but I actually feel very confident and happy about how well I have been doing collecting volunteers for every date, and making some true friends. I can’t wait for my ski season to begin!
Pedro Gutierrez, serving at Lincoln Hills Cares, writes:
Have you ever gone to sleep somewhere and woken up somewhere completely new?
In my case I woke up in Pittsburg, ready to take on the largest conference I had ever participated in, the NAAEE conference. With over 1,100 participants each one with various passions all coming together to speak with others about the work of educating and facilitating the next generation of stewards.
Upon arriving at the conference, the scent of coffee stations filled the air as people buzzed from booth to booth, with small appetizer plates full of hope and new beginnings. The stage was set with a background of the Pittsburgh skyline, as the seats filled with potential new connections. The director introduced the keynote speakers, authors of the world renowned book titled “When you Wonder, You're Learning,” a breakdown of the work that Mr. Rogers has done to inspire the “garden of the mind.”
During the co-presentation, the keynotes covered how a teacher can make some feel seen. That when we first meet, see, or teach a person they aspire to be noticed. That humans have the ability to react positively when someone is genuine and or true to their nature. Mr. Rogers was an innovator, scientist, and educator that gave space for millions to wonder. By asking the big questions:
- “What do we know about learning?”
- “How can we bring nature to children?”
- “How do we connect minds of difference?”
It all came down to the fact that teachers are Learning Scientists fostering curiosity through connections. That leaving room to wonder and focusing instruction on the familiar, we can push students to new levels of life. Which is why the best teachers love teaching in front of others because they love ALL students, just the way they are.
The metaphor that stuck out to me the most as they concluded their presentation was that teachers have this ability to build an atmosphere. Embodying the climate of any room may lead to successful results that can support a network, community, or “garden of the mind” to wonder how they can change the world around them.
Based on these finding and research, my newest mantra when I teach is now, “Teach like everyone is watching.”
Wendy, serving a second term at Colorado Canyons Association, writes:
I recently had the pleasure of presenting at an Environmental Education Summit on Program Assessment and
Evaluation. This was all thanks to my AmeriCorps program. eeCorps provides professional development sessions led by an evaluation consultant, Nancy Zuercher. These sessions empower eeCorps members to facilitate evaluation at their host site.
My host site, Colorado Canyons Association, said that these trainings and the added capacity of an AmeriCorps member prove invaluable. Evaluation provided insight into CCA's programming, quantified impact, and energized stakeholders. This experience also impacted my own professional development, as their AmeriCorps member; it's reminded me of skills that I forgot I had: working with data, strategic thinking, and presenting findings. This summit was my third time presenting CCA's evaluation process! And, hearing that others got a lot out of my presentation brought me great joy. I'm so grateful for CAEE providing its eeCorps members with valuable trainings.
Micah Rogers, serving a second term at The School Food Project, writes:
As I said goodbye to a group of students during my last after-school visit this month, they all ran up to give me a group hug. The after-school supervisor handed me a thank-you poster and told me the kids had asked if I could come back for the rest of the year.
This group had been engaged, polite, and curious during all of my visits to their school. They cared about what I had to say and wanted to participate in all of the activities. One student in particular stayed behind to talk to me as I packed up, thanking me for coming to visit them. This student told me, “I learned so much about how plants work and tried so many yummy foods!” Moments like these are great reminders that even a short amount of time can make a big difference in kids’ lives!
Tianna Kell, serving at The Greenway Foundation, writes:
Throughout serving in this position so far I’ve learned many things, one majorly important thing stands out- school buses are not reliably available. Our field trips we run have been canceled, rescheduled and no-showed, all by schools that can’t get a bus or had a bus cancel on them. Entirely understandable with staffing and bus shortages. Nonetheless, it is extremely disappointing for the students and for us, because that’s up to 60 more people that won’t receive an exciting day of environmental education.
However, recently we had a school whose buses were canceled and they were still determined to make the field trip work out. So we went to them. We gathered at a park next to their school, adapted our programming to make it flexible, and the kids walked over to us. Every single kid was excited to be there, happy to spend some time outside at a park most of them knew, and they were excited to learn and play. Despite the bitter cold wind the kids were engaged and bursting with energy. I’m so pleased these kids were able to still experience our programing and have an interesting day of learning.
Tiger Locheart, serving at Cal-Wood, writes:
I was shadowing my co-worker for a 3 day program. As we hiked the second day, one of the boys was asking tons of questions, which I tried to answer as my co-worker (Ben) taught. We were definitely pushing the comfort zones of the kids and I could tell some were uncomfortable.
This particular kid started asking to go back and call his parents to go home. We acknowledged his feelings but pushed him to continue with the day. As we were finishing up he walked up to Ben and I and said "I really had a great time, the more difficult it became the more I loved it.
I am very grateful for this experience and for you." It was such a cool switch to see that pushing him made the experience better after struggling at first.
Grace Apodaca, serving at Thorne Nature Experience, writes:
It was a sunny day at Sombrero Marsh, and I was given the task of running the Land Station for that day's second-grade field trip. Things were going relatively smoothly throughout the first three rotations, but then the fourth and last group arrived.
Barreling in was a boy called Hunter*. He was clearly excited, jumping on the sitting rocks, running through the bushes, and generally frolicking gleefully across the station. The chaperone's attempts to have him sit and listen while I started teaching were ineffective, as were my requests to sit and listen. Clearly, this approach wasn't going to work. I am very new to teaching and froze for a moment as I wondered how in the world I would make this a successful lesson for everyone.
Then I had an idea.
"Hunter! Do you think you can help me with something?" I called as he ran by. He nodded, asking what he could do. "Do you want to be my teacher's assistant?" Surrounding me were compasses and maps and I could tell he was intrigued. I whispered to him what the lesson plan was and what he was going to do, then patted an open space on my rock so he could sit next to me. I began the lesson again, with Hunter passing out materials when needed. When we went on a navigation activity, I asked him to read out the clue for the next location. At the end of the rotation, we reconvened at our original meeting spot and he sat calmly as I wrapped up the lesson.
I was so glad that I managed to both educate the kids and accommodate for Hunter's needs. I also simply had a fun time teaching with him and even got a few new ideas to try out the next time I run that station. All in all, it was a great experience for me, the students, and Hunter.
*Name has been changed to protect student privacy.
Liv Wheeler, serving at CSU Spur, writes:
Every day looks differently at CSU Spur, which keeps things engaging, exciting, and extemporizing. On this morning, I was scheduled to help a coworker and a volunteer prep for a macroinvertebrates school program. Not knowing what to expect but pleasantly surprised to learn that to successfully prep for this program, the 3 of us had to take a journey down to CSU Spur's neighboring water system, the South Platte River. It was a beautiful day and the sun was shining as we wheeled large buckets and wading gear in wagons down by the river shore. I put on my wading gear- heavy rubber boots that attached to overall-like, waterproof attire, grabbed a pole-net, and waded into the low river.
As I shuffled my feet through the water, scraping my net along the bottom to catch macroinvertebrates, I had a moment of awe and gratitude that this is my job. Sharing a moment in nature, in the South Platte River, with a friendly coworker and enthusiastic volunteer was a very special moment indeed that started off this service term with hope and inspiration for what lies ahead.
Lark BenDaniel, serving at Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, writes:
One of the Bird Conservancy field trips I ran was for a group of homeschool kids. They straddled a huge range of ages, from an infant and several toddlers, to young teenagers. Unlike the school groups I was used to teaching, these students were quite shy, with the youngest ones clinging to their parents’ legs, and not used to talking to unfamiliar adults. How was I going to engage them on our field trip if the kids weren’t willing to talk to me?
When we got to the bird banding station, my coworkers there told us with disappointment that there hadn’t been a single bird caught in our nets all morning! To pass the time and keep the kids occupied, we walked them along the paths by the nets, so they could see where we catch the birds, even if we didn’t have any to show them. The youngest kids stuck their tiny hands into the nets and walked under them, exploring with wobbly steps. After visiting several empty nets, we were about to turn around, when I saw ahead of us not one, but two large woodpeckers in the nets!
We rushed over and carefully extracted the birds from the net while the kids watched with wide eyes. The kids had brought us such good luck that not only did we catch two woodpeckers, but they were the same species with different wing colors! We showed the students the difference between the red feathers on one bird’s wings and the yellow on the other. The students who had been quiet and shy before were drawn toward the birds, eager to get a close look at the beautiful plumage. Although they hadn’t been nearly as chatty as other field trip groups, they had engaged with the field trip in
their own way.
Maya Alves, serving at Bluff Lake Nature Center, writes:
On Mondays, I head to a nearby school to lead the Boys and Girls after school club, where we dive into hands-on environment-themed activities. Recently, I introduced the kids to fire-building basics in the school courtyard. After a quick lesson on gathering the right types of wood, the kids set off with excitement. I moved between English and Spanish so every student could fully understand and engage, making sure that language wouldn’t be a barrier to learning.
The students worked enthusiastically, carefully stacking their “campfires” with impressive teamwork. They couldn’t stop admiring what they’d created, knowing they’d gained an important new outdoor skill. Before we wrapped up, we returned every stick to where we’d found it, leaving the courtyard just as it was. Each Monday, I get to help each kid, regardless of language or the limitations of a school setting, feel a bit more connected to nature
Grace Mullins, serving a second term at Catamount Institute, writes:
I recently had the pleasure of being apart of a two night overnight camp with a group of about 30 students. We got to stay at a beautiful property, surrounded by lodge pole pines, aspens, and a babbling brook. During this trip I led lots of activities, such as macroinvertebrate survey, shelter building, botanical illustrations, and a super fun campfire talent show! Through all of this I got to know these students wonderful personalities, and their amazing senses of humor!
To wrap up our trip, my co-lead led us in a silent affirmation activity. Everyone sat in a circle with their bodies facing out and their eyes closed, and a handful of people would be in the middle at a time. My co-lead would read out statements like "tap someone who is a good friend," or "tap someone who is brave," and the students and teachers in the middle would silently go tap people on the shoulders. We switched out the people in the middle so everyone had a turn to give affirmations.
After this activity, we asked how it made the students feel. Their responses were so heartwarming: "This reminded me that people actually do like me." "It made me feel seen, and appreciated." "It made me feel loved." "I didn't get tapped for all of these and that helped me realize the areas I can grow in."
The other adults and myself were all very touched by these insightful, and honest reactions, and it's an activity that I'm really glad we did. I'm so glad these students got a reminder of how amazing they are.