By Michael Collins, Teravana
Team Teravana took a giant step towards furthering its mission of engaging in community outreach and educational initiatives when a fifth-grade class from Guerneville Elementary School stepped out of the classroom and visited Teravana.
We have found a vibrant movement in Sonoma County to bring more young students outside where they can learn from nature. Thankfully, the team met with Sarah Deering and Dana Pederson of the Guerneville School District a few times in the summer. Sarah and Dana encouraged us to continue to plan a field trip.
Before confirming the date, Sarah came to Teravana one afternoon in November to see how the 5th-grade curriculum would benefit from a field trip. Confirming a day in the fall before the rainy season looked daunting as we understood the challenges of scheduling, permissions, and transportation. We all worked together and made it happen on December 11. The field trip would never have come together without Sarah’s belief in the idea and a vision of students immersing in Teravana’s rolling forests rich in biodiversity.
The day followed the story of the oak tree. On a nature hike, the kids learned about different types of trees and gathered acorns, oak tree leaves, and ecologically related pieces of nature in the surrounding areas. Personalities arose during the nature walks when kids had the opportunity to gather materials to bring back to the art studio. Hiking the pond trail, the kids had a lot of questions and answers about how the trees function and about the different types of oaks, acorns, leaves, and mushrooms as they ran and climbed the hills and lower tree limbs.
One of the day’s highlights was when Teravana’s ecologic advisor, Dana, showed everyone how to plant and name their oak tree acorn. The young stewards watched on and then planted their acorns, asking insightful questions and offering different care techniques.
Even by the end of the day, the 5th graders tapped into their energy reserves, feeding the goats and horses snacks and alfalfa. Interacting with the goats and horses excited everyone, a chance to learn how the animals and the land coexist.
A follow-up survey told us what stood out most from the trip and what the students and teachers would like to see next time. The 5th graders enjoyed learning that some of the trees were up to 1000 years old and were amazed to discover horse manure’s dense and solidified texture (just one example of something newly discovered).
There was so much to learn from this first trip. We now have an understanding of how to expedite transportation and how to best interact with teachers. More trips will help us continue to build relationships with schools and teachers in Sonoma County, reaching young folks, and opening doors to new experiences.
Join us on our journey of celebrating the outdoors (by attending one of Teravana’s workshops and/or donating): https://www.teravana.org/canopy-of-giving/
