The students from 100 Mile House Elementary School took over Centennial Park on May 10 for a series of nature expeditions.
This event was part of the Cariboo Chilcotin Outdoor Classroom Program, which encourages students to go outside and explore what nature has to offer.
“We want [the students] to connect to the natural area and [the local school] has such awesome areas to use,” says event leader Frances McCoubrey from Williams Lake.
At 9:30 a.m., students from seven different classes began several ecology studies throughout the park. There were four different activities, including nature detective, plant and marsh life examination, identifying bugs and bird watching. Teaching faculty from 100 Mile House Elementary and the Scout Island Nature Centre in Williams Lake led the students through a series of exercises with each activity.
The classes that followed McCoubrey on the nature detective activity were tasked with matching elements of nature to coloured paint chips, locating unnatural objects placed in the forest and discover and identify different trees by touch.
For the plant and marsh life activity, students took scoops of marsh water and examined different lifeforms under a microscope.
“It's cool how you can see it closer. They have claws on the ends of their feet,” Grade 6 student Nelly Baechmann exclaims while inspecting a damselfly nymph.
One of the most enthusiastic groups was the Grade 2-3 French immersion classes who were looking for different kinds of bugs.
Led by UBC Okanagan graduate Patrick Newsome, the students tried to find and identify different species of bugs, including ants, invertebrates and metamorphosis.
“I like working with these kids. I've been doing this for four years now and I still learn something new every day.”
The new outdoor event was supported by Williams Lake Field Naturalists and is a School District #27 program. It is intended to engage students in learning outside and putting focus on thinking and social skills.
Local school Grade 5-6 teacher Kerry Tunnacliffe says she is happy about this addition to the curriculum.
“I think it's great and [the students] can participate hands on. They are happy to be involved.”