looking for naturalist to share their interest with students
Kristy Dillingham
Greetings Community Members,
Many of us share a similar passion and interest: the Southeast Alaska environment. In a society that is becoming more and more nature deprived and in which children are disconnected from the natural world, the Juneau Community Charter School kindergarten and 1st grade class is trying to build a connection with their environment. Gwenna Corvez, the teacher, has scheduled her K/1 class to spend time at a location on Basin Rd every Monday from 11:30-1:30.
The idea behind these Monday hikes is to help our children become intimate with their natural surroundings. It is meant to sharpen their senses, encourage keen observation and contemplation and give them some freedom in the wilderness. It is a way to develop their sense of wonder and care and to become long term stewards of the environment. Our hikes will be focusing on beauty, wonder and discovery.
We are looking for people who would like to hike with us and stay for 2 hours or just meet us there and spend an hour with the kids. We are open to nature specialists who would like to give short lessons to the children, but are mostly looking for people willing to simply go with the flow, interact with a few children at a time as the children move around the grounds.
Once we have gone on a couple of hikes we will be bringing hoola hoops and science journals in order to begin our outdoor time with formal observation. The adults will spread out and make sure the children are safe while also playing with them and encouraging them to notice things that interest them.
Our special place on Basin Rd. is just before the Gold Creek bridge to the right. There is a clearing, some woods and the river, which all offer incredible variations over the year and endless possibilities for discovery.
We are looking for volunteer specialist to share their interest and passions with the class. Our monthly themes include the following:
September/October- Building community, animal families and animal tracking
November/December- Migration, hibernation, dormancy- bear, bird, plant & insect
January/February- snow science & winter weather, more tracking
March/April/May- springtime growth & changes- plants (growth and uses), birds (calls and mating)
Please contact me if you would like to volunteer you expertise.
Sincerely,
Kristy Dillingham
Basin Rd. Ecology-Class Coordinator
Juneau Community Charter School