A generous donation by the SaddleBrooke Hiking Club enabled over 60 children from Erickson Elementary School in Tucson to participate in the Environmental Education Program of Oracle State Park. Volunteer guides, including Dave Corrigan and Phil McNamee of SaddleBrooke, guided small groups of students on trails teaching them to use their five senses. Each group had a scent canister from a desert critter. At stations along the trail there were three additional scent canisters. In matching their scent canisters to one at each station the students gained valuable clues to the identity of their critter. Students discussed all they learned at the five stations and were very excited to identify their animal.
Dave says the students love this activity! In a thank you note to Dave, Matthew said he liked listening to the animal sounds, sticking his hand in the mystery bag and seeing the rattlesnake. He was glad Dave kept him safe from the rattlesnake!
Students identified many plants and critters, such as caterpillars, horned toads, hawks and snakes discovered along the trail. For many students this was their first opportunity to explore nature trails and discover the joys of outdoor learning. Their teachers were thrilled to get their students involved in using their five senses to learn!
Thank you, SaddleBrooke Hiking Club, for making this outdoor learning possible by funding two school buses of students.