Eight-year-old Gene-vieve Ward sits quietly in the Ruby Lake Lagoon Nature Reserve, observing the beauty of the forest in the rain.
She writes in her journal, "The rain makes a sound like the sound of millions of little drums being beaten on. Little droplets of water on plants fall off as though the plants were crying. Though it is raining, I think it is very beautiful. It is hard to explain why. PS: I have found the word - magical."
Genevieve was part of a group of homeschooling children and their parents who enjoyed an entire week of hands-on learning and exploration at the Iris Griffith Interpretive Centre as part of the Lagoon Society's innovative Nature School Program. The class enjoyed a unique learning environment where on-site classroom sessions were reinforced by extended periods of time spent in the outdoors observing the diversity of habitats and plant and animal species and drawing and writing in journals. The children participated in many exciting activities -from inspecting skulls and discussing animal adaptations to investigating tree growth and tree rings to building simple habitats for amphibians. Many talented and enthusiastic community members volunteered their time to lead different sessions. Forester Tony Richmond introduced the children to common tree and plant species. Park ranger Dylan Eyeres talked about local wildlife and led the kids on a hike to observe elk rubbings, bear scratches and piles of deer and elk pellets. Photographer and conservationist Rick O'Neill shared photos and information about flora and fauna of Sunshine Coast forests. Artists Solveigh Harrison and June Malaka introduced the children to sketching and water colour painting. Biologist David Stiles shared a slideshow presentation about bat ecology and conservation and led the children through a series of comparisons between thebat and a fellow mammal -the human being. Canada World Youth volunteer Mags Eksteen gave a presentation about her homeland Namibia and taught the children a few words in her native language. The week was planned and designed by the parents in conjunction with program co-ordinator Lee-Ann Ennis and teacher's liaison Gillian Kydd.
"We all came together, created a vision and then worked together to see that vision materialize," said parent Sheila Wilson.
Nature School is made possible thanks to generous contributions from many sponsors. Space is still available for classes to participate this academic year. For more information, please contact Lee-Ann at 1-604-837-2688, email [email protected] or visit www.lagoonsociety.com.
