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| A 2011 Nature’s Classroom Field Group. WP Software Engineer Gene Hyatt’s son, Evan, stands to the right of the instructor. |
WP Software engineer Gene Hyatt took a week’s vacation last year in early spring. But he didn’t jet off to a relaxing island, head for the coast, or even finish leisurely household tasks at home. Instead, he chose to don his hiking boots and lead more than 50 children in an educational adventure through the mucky, muddy Northeast woods.
Gene served as a Nature’s Classroom parent, accompanying his son Evan’s class to one of several camps scattered across New England that host school-age children for five days, immersing them in the experiential learning activities day and night. It’s a formidable undertaking for students, teachers, and parents alike; a typical day begins with a meal at 8 a.m. sharp, and continues full speed with activities including field studies of the natural environment, special interest classes, and evening activities ranging from night hikes to folk dances.
In one jam-packed week, for instance, the class took a sensory walk in the woods, blindfolded to heighten their senses of hearing, smell, and touch. Math aficionados constructed a geo-dome and charted maps of the area; science buffs built terrariums and tested solar energy; musicians created woodland instruments, historians recreated Native American games, and writers composed poems inspired by the scenery.
Gene characterized the week as exhausting but rewarding. And even though Evan has graduated from the program and has moved on to ‘bigger kid’ endeavors, Gene is planning to serve as a Nature’s Classroom volunteer again in 2012.
“It’s definitely a commitment,” he says, “but there’s no better place to learn, whether you’re a kid or an adult.”