The state’s new Nature Awaits program has already been a big hit statewide, says communication coordinator Aileen Kemme, and state parks in the Muskegon area offer White Lake area students a chance to take advantage of it.
The program launched this spring under the Department of Natural Resources, courtesy of a $4 million infusion in the state budget, and offers every fourth-grade public school student in the state a free field trip to a state park. All the schools have to do, Kemme said, is sign up, and the Department of Natural Resources takes care of the rest.
“Transportation is free for public schools,” Kemme said. “That’s been the #1 thing teachers have said was their saving grace to get out to the parks...If you’re a public school teacher, we’ll reimburse up to $1,000 to get out there.
“That’s been the biggest hurdle for urban schools or smaller districts who want to participate but don’t know how to get there.”
Private schools are also welcome to participate in the program, Kemme said, though the budget does not allow for a transportation reimbursement in those cases.
Not many White Lake area classes have yet participated in the program, but one that did was Reeths-Puffer fourth-grade teacher Shalyne Harris’ class last spring. Harris, who noted that her class’ curriculum included a unit on animals’ defending themselves, said she signed up for the field trip quickly after hearing about the program and took her class to Duck Lake State Park.
“We got an email early on in the winter, maybe January or February, saying this was an opportunity,” Harris said. “We were on the lookout to give our kids some experiences...We jumped right on that.”
The Nature Awaits trips include a 90-minute guided trip through the state park, with a walk of about a mile. Groups who attend are then split into smaller groups with DNR educators, chaperones and the teachers themselves being involved; the DNR’s goal is to have no more than 10 students per adult on the field trips to encourage individualized attention.
“We have a guided activity book where we’ll stop and do a couple activity pages, then we’ll keep walking,” Kemme said. “Each field trip kind of depends on what wildlife we see...They’ll interact with the environment.
“One day we might see frogs everywhere. Another day you might be lucky enough to see a bald eagle flying overhead. It’s based on what wildlife we see and what questions (the kids) have.”
Harris said her class gave the field trip rave reviews, and she especially appreciated a portion of the trip that saw classes sit and just take in their surroundings, a favorite focus of Sophie Riley, who serves as park interpreter for the Grand Region of Nature Awaits (Grand Rapids and surrounding areas, including the White Lake area).
“They talked a lot about the trees and making connections to that, the different things you can see on a tree,” Harris said. “They enjoyed being out there and just hanging out. I loved the part where they just went down and sat on the water and did some reflective writing. They were super pumped about it.”
The new program had added meaning to Harris because her daughter Cadence was in fourth grade last year and also participated in the field trip. Cadence reported that having the interpreters on the trip was a huge benefit.
“I just liked that we were actually there. We were not just taking a hike and looking around; there were people there to guide us,” Cadence said. “We actually had a program for it.”
Riley said she has had groups from the Whitehall district as well as from R-P during the several months the program has been available. As of now, according to the DNR’s website, there are slots open Oct. 10 and Nov. 8 at Duck Lake. Windows of 8:30-11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. are available.
A total of 29 state parks in Michigan are participating in Nature Awaits. In addition to Duck Lake, Muskegon County locations Muskegon State Park and Hoffmaster State Park are included in the program, offering many more dates and times. Riley said about 85 classes are scheduled to take a trip to a Grand Region park this fall. Statewide, Kemme said, the program is closing in on “one of every five fourth-graders who either have been or will be on a field trip this fall.”
“We had such a great time last spring debuting the program,” Riley said. “It was a lot to throw together all at once. We’re a completely brand new staff of interpreters. We all got our new jobs and got started quite quickly.”
Riley said seeing students slowly tap into an ability to connect to nature that they may not have even known they had is a big reason she enjoys her job, and especially why she focuses on the less stimulating part of the trip.
“We had a lot of kiddos that didn’t know how to make those connections with nature, and you could see their gears turning a little bit,” Riley said of her spring sessions, adding that several of the students who have come said they’d never been to Duck Lake before despite its proximity. “They started asking questions about the outdoors and being connected with their surroundings. I am a bit of a nerd about it, but it felt magical.”
Recently retired teachers, Kemme said, have been involved with the program as DNR educators. This gives credibility to the instruction that’s part of the field trips.
“They’re able to go out a couple hours at a time, walk around in the woods with kids and inspire them to be environmental stewards and just be curious about the world,” Kemme said.
Participants in the program also, Kemme said, receive a voucher to return to a state park for free with their families. The program also has accommodations for students with special needs, whether they be physical or mental.
“We’ve had kids with full inclusion classes with autism, or with wheelchairs, and deaf students have come out and explored the park,” Kemme said. “If teachers of students with special needs want, we’re more than happy and willing to do accommodations for them.”
Riley said she and others who work with the Nature Awaits program enjoy introducing young people to the outdoors, now more than ever.
“It’s a very important thing to our team,” Riley said. “With us being in a world that’s very reliant on technology, a lot of kids are exposed to video games and things - which is fun - but this is great to balance that out to provide a natural and less stimulating environment.”
