I should first inform you that there are two coordinators for the education operations at my place of internship, both of which were gone last week to observe a new environmental education program that they are looking to begin at our center. One returned this week, though, and I have been working with her since Monday, my first 'official' day as an education intern!
As educators, our primary duty is to acquaint visiting students / adults / teachers to nature, fostering within them a great(er) appreciation for the land and nature itself. In the spring, the bulk of this occurs within the context of field trips, ranging anywhere from 1 to 4 hours, depending on the age of the visiting group.
Prior to their field trip we conduct a previsit, which entails our going to the school and presenting an introduction to the class of what they can expect and what they have to look forward to!
My first previsit was Monday! One of the directors and I visited a really lovely Jewish day school, bustling with excitement and lots of pretty artwork all over the place. Fortunately I did not have to conduct this previsit (which is great because frankly I had little idea of how they are to go down,) so for this one I just observed and got a feel for how it went and what information was important to mention. I've come away with a much better feeling about doing it myself someday soon.
Following the previsit is, of course, the field trip! Today was a nice and beautiful (overcast and sprinkly) day for the students to visit, and I enjoyed having the opportunity to shadow a guide to once again learn how to properly conduct this particular area of business. I expected the field trips to be very regimented, with specific points of discussion and times for transitioning from one part of the farm / preserve to the next... but to my surprise it was quite the opposite! Very mellow and relaxed with little structure, yet still incredibly educational (if not mroe so) and productive. Leading these should be fun!
Here is a little more of what else has been going on lately...
This is Butterfingers, the farm family's daughter's pet rabbit. It likes people and behaves itself as a dog or other friendly household animal.
Here is the little greenhouse. My time really enjoys my spending it here.
Future tomato hosts.
The BIG greenhouse!
This is chickweed. It is cute but rather obtrusive, and as such happily took a couple hours right out of my fingertips a few days ago as I set about weeding as much of the large greenhouse as possible (before sweating my concentration away [almost]... the place is a sauna of oxygen and green.) I repaid its kindness by tossing it to the chickens, who happen to L O V E it, and many other greens for that matter!
More to come... have a happy day :).
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