July 16th, 2011
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Fresh air took on a different meaning Friday for more than 25 Birmingham-area elementary school students participating in the Children’s Fresh Air Farm summer learning program, as they explored the natural lands at Living River in Shelby County.
Many of the students come from Whatley K-8 and Gibson Elementary in the city and don’t get the opportunity to experience nature in this way, Fresh Air Farm director Gini Williams said.
“At home, I jump on my trampoline,” campgoer Tywun Williams said. “I don’t usually do stuff like this.”
The six-week learning program is separated into facets that include math and reading as well as an opportunity for nature exploration.
Children’s Fresh Air Farm was established in 1923 and is a ministry of the Independent Presbyterian Church that provides outreach for low-income children in the Birmingham area. This is the second year for the summer learning program.
“We’ve worked to get a balanced schedule where the enrichment includes science and field trips like this,” Williams said. “It’s a broad range of things. The children also have gardening.”
Students were broken into three groups Friday that included woods walking, fossil hunting and stream exploration to learn about different parts of nature at Living River, a retreat on the Cahaba River.
Fresh Air Farm and Living River joined with the Camp McDowell Environmental Center to provide the tours for the students. Camp McDowell environmentalist Heather Montgomery led the students up and down hills in search of fossils.
“I learned that fossils have prints from other animals,” campgoer Tavaria Jackson said. Students discovered rocks and rock-like objects.
“This is a sandrock,” Montgomery said as one of the students noticed the texture of his discovery. “You see how you can rub it off?”
While several students explored for centuries-old fossils, others strained the creek for any animal or plant life they could find.
Lining the shores of the creek with strainers in hand, scooping up remnants from underwater, many of them came up empty-handed until a McDowell employee noticed movement and captured a crayfish.
“I think I’ve got a big one,” he yelled as he grabbed the crayfish, as big as two fingers, from his strainer.
“It must be a girl. I can tell from his red fingernails,” a boy said.
Beyond teaching the students to recognize some of the creatures, the experience was mostly about exposure, Williams said.
“It’s educational and it’s fun,” she said. “They’ve been engaged in catching the tadpoles and the crayfish.”
On Fridays, the students take field trips for environmental education. But four days a week, they engage in traditional curriculum such as reading and mathematics where they learn and enhance skills.
“I feel like I’m ready to learn,” Tywun said.
Participants in the program are third and fourth-graders, and many of the fourth-graders are experiencing a second summer in the program. The program staff maintains contact with the students throughout the school year.
Join the conversation by clicking to comment or email John Brimley at jbrimley@bhamnews.com.
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